Improper gear extension lights distracted pilot, causing poor approach and forced go around to solve...

Attributes
ACN	177012
Time
Date	199104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdu tower : dtw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	177012
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Delivering pressurized small transport from srq to roc, made scheduled fuel stop at rdu. Approach vectored me to join the localizer at the OM (ILS 23L rdu). Localizer needle started to move toward center as the G/south needle centered and approach handed me off to tower, all at the same time. I quickly dropped the gear and called tower. Then I noticed the right main gear green light was not lit and the red unlock light was illuminated. I quickly recycled the gear, and at about that time tower called and said I had drifted over onto the ILS 23R approach course. I quickly corrected and then turned my attention to the right gear, which was still not showing extended. (I spent 45 more mins being vectored and running through the emergency extension procedures, pulling G's, slips, etc. Still couldn't get the green lit or the red unlit, so landed. On T/D, the green light dame on and the red light went out.) the absolute worst part of this story? 2 weeks earlier I delivered an small transport from pbi to roc and stopped for fuel at rdu again. Being vectored for the ILS 5L at rdu I had mistakenly tuned the ILS 5R and had to be reminded of my error by approach (no conflict, fortunately.) this time I was determined to learn from my past error and, because of the gear problem, repeated the error anyway. Unbelievable. This problem could have been avoided had I flown the aircraft first and not fixated on the gear problem. Being vectored at the OM may have contributed (thought I was glad for the close-in vector).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER GEAR EXTENSION LIGHTS DISTRACTED PLT, CAUSING POOR APCH AND FORCED GO AROUND TO SOLVE GEAR EXTENSION. GEAR LIGHTS BECAME PROPER ON TOUCHDOWN.

Narrative: DELIVERING PRESSURIZED SMT FROM SRQ TO ROC, MADE SCHEDULED FUEL STOP AT RDU. APCH VECTORED ME TO JOIN THE LOC AT THE OM (ILS 23L RDU). LOC NEEDLE STARTED TO MOVE TOWARD CENTER AS THE G/S NEEDLE CENTERED AND APCH HANDED ME OFF TO TWR, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. I QUICKLY DROPPED THE GEAR AND CALLED TWR. THEN I NOTICED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT LIT AND THE RED UNLOCK LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I QUICKLY RECYCLED THE GEAR, AND AT ABOUT THAT TIME TWR CALLED AND SAID I HAD DRIFTED OVER ONTO THE ILS 23R APCH COURSE. I QUICKLY CORRECTED AND THEN TURNED MY ATTN TO THE RIGHT GEAR, WHICH WAS STILL NOT SHOWING EXTENDED. (I SPENT 45 MORE MINS BEING VECTORED AND RUNNING THROUGH THE EMER EXTENSION PROCS, PULLING G'S, SLIPS, ETC. STILL COULDN'T GET THE GREEN LIT OR THE RED UNLIT, SO LANDED. ON T/D, THE GREEN LIGHT DAME ON AND THE RED LIGHT WENT OUT.) THE ABSOLUTE WORST PART OF THIS STORY? 2 WKS EARLIER I DELIVERED AN SMT FROM PBI TO ROC AND STOPPED FOR FUEL AT RDU AGAIN. BEING VECTORED FOR THE ILS 5L AT RDU I HAD MISTAKENLY TUNED THE ILS 5R AND HAD TO BE REMINDED OF MY ERROR BY APCH (NO CONFLICT, FORTUNATELY.) THIS TIME I WAS DETERMINED TO LEARN FROM MY PAST ERROR AND, BECAUSE OF THE GEAR PROB, REPEATED THE ERROR ANYWAY. UNBELIEVABLE. THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD I FLOWN THE ACFT FIRST AND NOT FIXATED ON THE GEAR PROB. BEING VECTORED AT THE OM MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED (THOUGHT I WAS GLAD FOR THE CLOSE-IN VECTOR).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Improper gear extension lights distracted pilot, causing poor approach and forced go around to solve gear extension. Gear lights became proper on touchdown.