MD88 flight crew ignored a gear door unlocked warning light thinking it was a false alarm or that the gear door would float and just lightly touch the runway at the end of the landing roll. Instead, the door was damaged upon landing. They were concerned about thunderstorms in the area and decided not to go around and follow the handbook procedure.

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Attributes
ACN	362519
Time
Date	199703
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw airport : dtw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	362519
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After gear extension, the gear door unlocked light failed to go out. This was recognized at 1200 ft AGL while running the before landing checklist. There wasn't time to run the abnormal checklist, obviously, without go around and due to thunderstorms all over the area (including hail we had encountered on 12 mi final, which we couldn't see and didn't show up on the radar), the captain elected to land. We also felt there was a good chance the door would float as it does when alternate gear extension is used (if malfunction was in light switch or door lock). The landing was absolutely normal from the cockpit. No unusual sounds, feelings, etc. No comments from the flight attendants or passenger (except for 'nice landing'). It turned out the door was open on landing. It impacted the runway bending the door and grinding part of it away. The malfunction was a broken sequencing linkage that caused the door to stay open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC IGNORED A GEAR DOOR UNLOCKED WARNING LIGHT THINKING IT WAS A FALSE ALARM OR THAT THE GEAR DOOR WOULD FLOAT AND JUST LIGHTLY TOUCH THE RWY AT THE END OF THE LNDG ROLL. INSTEAD, THE DOOR WAS DAMAGED UPON LNDG. THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT TSTMS IN THE AREA AND DECIDED NOT TO GO AROUND AND FOLLOW THE HANDBOOK PROC.

Narrative: AFTER GEAR EXTENSION, THE GEAR DOOR UNLOCKED LIGHT FAILED TO GO OUT. THIS WAS RECOGNIZED AT 1200 FT AGL WHILE RUNNING THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. THERE WASN'T TIME TO RUN THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST, OBVIOUSLY, WITHOUT GAR AND DUE TO TSTMS ALL OVER THE AREA (INCLUDING HAIL WE HAD ENCOUNTERED ON 12 MI FINAL, WHICH WE COULDN'T SEE AND DIDN'T SHOW UP ON THE RADAR), THE CAPT ELECTED TO LAND. WE ALSO FELT THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE THE DOOR WOULD FLOAT AS IT DOES WHEN ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION IS USED (IF MALFUNCTION WAS IN LIGHT SWITCH OR DOOR LOCK). THE LNDG WAS ABSOLUTELY NORMAL FROM THE COCKPIT. NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS, FEELINGS, ETC. NO COMMENTS FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS OR PAX (EXCEPT FOR 'NICE LNDG'). IT TURNED OUT THE DOOR WAS OPEN ON LNDG. IT IMPACTED THE RWY BENDING THE DOOR AND GRINDING PART OF IT AWAY. THE MALFUNCTION WAS A BROKEN SEQUENCING LINKAGE THAT CAUSED THE DOOR TO STAY OPEN.

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.