An air carrier made a missed approach to assure its nose landing gear was locked down.

Attributes
ACN	259846
Time
Date	199312
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roc tower : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing : missed approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	259846
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Extended gear to configure for landing. Nosewheel down/lock indicator did not illuminate. Cycled gear - 2ND attempt, still no indication. Broke off the approach. Climbed with radar vectors to hold on localizer runway 4. Leveled off - first officer flying and monitoring, captain trying to communicate with company maintenance. Unable to reach on radio frequency arinc. Exchanged gear indicator bulbs, slowed to gear extension speed, and successfully extended the gear with down/locked indicators on all 3 gears. Also, in transit lights all properly worked during gear extension. We expected the transit light would not work because this was the light we exchanged. Since all worked, he presumed the problem was a dirty contact that we 'fixed' during exchange. Because all appeared normal, we saw no reason to report unnecessary delays. 2 flts later, the problem occurred in btv, vermont. Exchanging the bulbs had no effect and after 2 fly-by's, the tower stated the gear 'appeared down'. We requested emergency equipment standing by and landed without incident. We later performed a maintenance ferry flight to have gear inspected. Evidently the first problem should have been reported but, at the time, appeared to be nothing anyone could do because the problem appeared corrected.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MADE A MISSED APCH TO ASSURE ITS NOSE LNDG GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN.

Narrative: EXTENDED GEAR TO CONFIGURE FOR LNDG. NOSEWHEEL DOWN/LOCK INDICATOR DID NOT ILLUMINATE. CYCLED GEAR - 2ND ATTEMPT, STILL NO INDICATION. BROKE OFF THE APCH. CLBED WITH RADAR VECTORS TO HOLD ON LOC RWY 4. LEVELED OFF - FO FLYING AND MONITORING, CAPT TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH COMPANY MAINT. UNABLE TO REACH ON RADIO FREQ ARINC. EXCHANGED GEAR INDICATOR BULBS, SLOWED TO GEAR EXTENSION SPD, AND SUCCESSFULLY EXTENDED THE GEAR WITH DOWN/LOCKED INDICATORS ON ALL 3 GEARS. ALSO, IN TRANSIT LIGHTS ALL PROPERLY WORKED DURING GEAR EXTENSION. WE EXPECTED THE TRANSIT LIGHT WOULD NOT WORK BECAUSE THIS WAS THE LIGHT WE EXCHANGED. SINCE ALL WORKED, HE PRESUMED THE PROB WAS A DIRTY CONTACT THAT WE 'FIXED' DURING EXCHANGE. BECAUSE ALL APPEARED NORMAL, WE SAW NO REASON TO RPT UNNECESSARY DELAYS. 2 FLTS LATER, THE PROB OCCURRED IN BTV, VERMONT. EXCHANGING THE BULBS HAD NO EFFECT AND AFTER 2 FLY-BY'S, THE TWR STATED THE GEAR 'APPEARED DOWN'. WE REQUESTED EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE LATER PERFORMED A MAINT FERRY FLT TO HAVE GEAR INSPECTED. EVIDENTLY THE FIRST PROB SHOULD HAVE BEEN RPTED BUT, AT THE TIME, APPEARED TO BE NOTHING ANYONE COULD DO BECAUSE THE PROB APPEARED CORRECTED.

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.