Pilot of small transport uncertain if gear was down and locked had emergency equipment standing by.

Attributes
ACN	130637
Time
Date	198912
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hln
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2100
ASRS Report	130637
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I took off from billings, mt, en route to helena. When I raised my gear, the gear went up and into the wells, but the left main gear light did not go out. At helena, when I extended the gear, the sounds, sights and feel of the gear extension were normal--but the left main gear light didn't come on. The gear looked down and locked, so I changed the bulbs again and the gear light came back on. Then I decided I really couldn't believe the gear extension indicators anymore. I decided to have the crash trucks standing by on the taxiway. When I landed, I kept the airplane flying, gently put the left main gear down, slowly added weight to the gear. It held up, so I reduced power and let the right main and nose wheel down. As it turned out, the gear switches in the gear wells freeze all the time in the cold in this particular aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT UNCERTAIN IF GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED HAD EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT STANDING BY.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM BILLINGS, MT, ENRTE TO HELENA. WHEN I RAISED MY GEAR, THE GEAR WENT UP AND INTO THE WELLS, BUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT. AT HELENA, WHEN I EXTENDED THE GEAR, THE SOUNDS, SIGHTS AND FEEL OF THE GEAR EXTENSION WERE NORMAL--BUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON. THE GEAR LOOKED DOWN AND LOCKED, SO I CHANGED THE BULBS AGAIN AND THE GEAR LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THEN I DECIDED I REALLY COULDN'T BELIEVE THE GEAR EXTENSION INDICATORS ANYMORE. I DECIDED TO HAVE THE CRASH TRUCKS STANDING BY ON THE TXWY. WHEN I LANDED, I KEPT THE AIRPLANE FLYING, GENTLY PUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR DOWN, SLOWLY ADDED WT TO THE GEAR. IT HELD UP, SO I REDUCED PWR AND LET THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE WHEEL DOWN. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE GEAR SWITCHES IN THE GEAR WELLS FREEZE ALL THE TIME IN THE COLD IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.