Aircraft equipment problem. Nose gear door had loose screws and interfered with obtaining a safe gea...

Attributes
ACN	338768
Time
Date	199606
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tvl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2000
ASRS Report	338768
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed trk en route to tvl. After departure the gear handle failed to return to the neutral position and the red gear warning light stayed on (PA31-350). I tried to recycle the gear and got a normal down and locked indication, 3 green, handle to neutral, red light out, and the nose gear was visible in the mirror on the l-hand engine nacelle. I put the handle back into the up position and got all normal indications, 3 green went out, I heard 3 'clunks' of the wheels raising into the wells, the red light stayed on. The handle failed to return to neutral, though. By this time it was time to start a descent for landing so I again lowered the gear and got a 3 green normal indication. After landing I got out to visually inspect the gear. I noticed 2 loose screws, one on each nose gear door. I retightened them with my fingers and thought nothing more of it. I departed tvl en route to smf and had the same problem. I then put the gear back down and diverted to my home base, oak, the gear down and locked. The aircraft flew 3 legs prior to departing tvl where it sat for about 5 hours. All prior legs were normal and without incident. At the time I assumed the aircraft was legal for flight and posed no safety hazard to anyone. Looking back now I might have been wrong in departing tvl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. NOSE GEAR DOOR HAD LOOSE SCREWS AND INTERFERED WITH OBTAINING A SAFE GEAR INDICATION FOR LNDG. RPTR HAD TIGHTENED SCREWS AND DEPARTED ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROB. RPTR RETURNED TO HOME BASE.

Narrative: DEPARTED TRK ENRTE TO TVL. AFTER DEP THE GEAR HANDLE FAILED TO RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POS AND THE RED GEAR WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON (PA31-350). I TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR AND GOT A NORMAL DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION, 3 GREEN, HANDLE TO NEUTRAL, RED LIGHT OUT, AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS VISIBLE IN THE MIRROR ON THE L-HAND ENG NACELLE. I PUT THE HANDLE BACK INTO THE UP POS AND GOT ALL NORMAL INDICATIONS, 3 GREEN WENT OUT, I HEARD 3 'CLUNKS' OF THE WHEELS RAISING INTO THE WELLS, THE RED LIGHT STAYED ON. THE HANDLE FAILED TO RETURN TO NEUTRAL, THOUGH. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TIME TO START A DSCNT FOR LNDG SO I AGAIN LOWERED THE GEAR AND GOT A 3 GREEN NORMAL INDICATION. AFTER LNDG I GOT OUT TO VISUALLY INSPECT THE GEAR. I NOTICED 2 LOOSE SCREWS, ONE ON EACH NOSE GEAR DOOR. I RETIGHTENED THEM WITH MY FINGERS AND THOUGHT NOTHING MORE OF IT. I DEPARTED TVL ENRTE TO SMF AND HAD THE SAME PROB. I THEN PUT THE GEAR BACK DOWN AND DIVERTED TO MY HOME BASE, OAK, THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THE ACFT FLEW 3 LEGS PRIOR TO DEPARTING TVL WHERE IT SAT FOR ABOUT 5 HRS. ALL PRIOR LEGS WERE NORMAL AND WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THE TIME I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS LEGAL FOR FLT AND POSED NO SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE. LOOKING BACK NOW I MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG IN DEPARTING TVL.

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.

Aircraft equipment problem. Nose gear door had loose screws and interfered with obtaining a safe gear indication for landing. Reporter had tightened screws and departed only to have the same problem. Reporter returned to home base.