Narrative:

As I was flying into panama city, I noted that the nose landing gear green light was not illuminated. The captain elected to recycle the gear to see if that would correct the situation -- it did not. He then requested to hold over the field so that we could troubleshoot the situation. We went through the landing gear abnormal procedures, page 8, checklist with no success. Both of us alternately looked through the nose gear peep hole but could not positively determine whether the nose gear was down and locked due to the viewing hole being too dirty. Light bulbs were replaced. Air carrier flight control and maintenance coordinator were contacted to discuss the options and the decision was made to return to atlanta with the gear up at 23000 ft with the intent to conserve fuel. An emergency was declared with atl ARTCC to ensure priority handling. The fire department was notified through air carrier flight control to standby in the event of any complications. A longer final was flown to 27R to allow for time to lower gear manually if necessary when gear was lowered during normal means, we got a normal 3 down and locked indication. We notified the tower of this. The captain held the nose off as long as possible during the landing rollout. There were no further complications. Possible recommendations: 1) the abnormal procedures, page 8, should include the replacing of the light bulbs since the green landing gear lights are not 'press to test.' 2) the abnormal procedures, page 8, if applicable, should include the retarding of throttles to idle with the landing gear down to see if the gear warning horn would sound.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC COORD AND DECISION MAKING HAMPERED BY PUBLICATION DEFICIENCY AND IMPROPER ACFT EQUIP DESIGN OPERATING PROC AS DICTATED BY CHKLIST PROC. ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM WITH GEAR INDICATION.

Narrative: AS I WAS FLYING INTO PANAMA CITY, I NOTED THAT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR GREEN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT THE SITUATION -- IT DID NOT. HE THEN REQUESTED TO HOLD OVER THE FIELD SO THAT WE COULD TROUBLESHOOT THE SITUATION. WE WENT THROUGH THE LNDG GEAR ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, CHKLIST WITH NO SUCCESS. BOTH OF US ALTERNATELY LOOKED THROUGH THE NOSE GEAR PEEP HOLE BUT COULD NOT POSITIVELY DETERMINE WHETHER THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED DUE TO THE VIEWING HOLE BEING TOO DIRTY. LIGHT BULBS WERE REPLACED. ACR FLT CTL AND MAINT COORDINATOR WERE CONTACTED TO DISCUSS THE OPTIONS AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO ATLANTA WITH THE GEAR UP AT 23000 FT WITH THE INTENT TO CONSERVE FUEL. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATL ARTCC TO ENSURE PRIORITY HANDLING. THE FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED THROUGH ACR FLT CTL TO STANDBY IN THE EVENT OF ANY COMPLICATIONS. A LONGER FINAL WAS FLOWN TO 27R TO ALLOW FOR TIME TO LOWER GEAR MANUALLY IF NECESSARY WHEN GEAR WAS LOWERED DURING NORMAL MEANS, WE GOT A NORMAL 3 DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. WE NOTIFIED THE TWR OF THIS. THE CAPT HELD THE NOSE OFF AS LONG AS POSSIBLE DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT. THERE WERE NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) THE ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, SHOULD INCLUDE THE REPLACING OF THE LIGHT BULBS SINCE THE GREEN LNDG GEAR LIGHTS ARE NOT 'PRESS TO TEST.' 2) THE ABNORMAL PROCS, PAGE 8, IF APPLICABLE, SHOULD INCLUDE THE RETARDING OF THROTTLES TO IDLE WITH THE LNDG GEAR DOWN TO SEE IF THE GEAR WARNING HORN WOULD SOUND.

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.