Narrative:

Turning a wide base leg on a visual approach for runway 28L, I called for 'gear down, landing final items checklist.' the captain (PNF) positioned gear handle to gear down. No sound, no red 'gear unsafe,' no green 'gear down.' he repositioned handle back up and selected gear down again. This time, we saw 2 red 'gear unsafe' lights with no sound of the gear extending. Captain advised tower we would proceed northbound climbing out of the traffic pattern. Upon reaching 4000 ft we referenced the abnormal procedures QRH and extended the gear with the hand pump. We received 3 green and no red indicators, so we returned for landing. The captain and I felt the gear were indeed down and locked and did not declare an emergency. The captain took over the flight controls and landed. We turned off the runway at a high speed taxiway. We had had a problem with the aircraft's pitot heat (right) switch being broken and discovering it as we took the runway in milwaukee as the flight began. The passenger stayed on board at the gate as maintenance replaced the switch. The switch is about 3 inches from the gear handle and he had to remove it to get to the pitot switch. We felt he had probably broken a wire leading to the gear as he was working so close to the handle. The passenger witnessed this, and was another reason we did not declare an emergency, as we felt their impression of the airline was that we flew faulty equipment. Thinking back on it, though, for procedural safety, we should've declared an emergency instead of worrying about what the passenger felt.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 1900D ON LNDG APCH EXPERIENCED THE LNDG GEAR FAIL TO EXTEND NORMALLY AND HAD TO EXTEND GEAR MANUALLY.

Narrative: TURNING A WIDE BASE LEG ON A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 28L, I CALLED FOR 'GEAR DOWN, LNDG FINAL ITEMS CHKLIST.' THE CAPT (PNF) POSITIONED GEAR HANDLE TO GEAR DOWN. NO SOUND, NO RED 'GEAR UNSAFE,' NO GREEN 'GEAR DOWN.' HE REPOSITIONED HANDLE BACK UP AND SELECTED GEAR DOWN AGAIN. THIS TIME, WE SAW 2 RED 'GEAR UNSAFE' LIGHTS WITH NO SOUND OF THE GEAR EXTENDING. CAPT ADVISED TWR WE WOULD PROCEED NBOUND CLBING OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN. UPON REACHING 4000 FT WE REFED THE ABNORMAL PROCS QRH AND EXTENDED THE GEAR WITH THE HAND PUMP. WE RECEIVED 3 GREEN AND NO RED INDICATORS, SO WE RETURNED FOR LNDG. THE CAPT AND I FELT THE GEAR WERE INDEED DOWN AND LOCKED AND DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE FLT CTLS AND LANDED. WE TURNED OFF THE RWY AT A HIGH SPD TXWY. WE HAD HAD A PROB WITH THE ACFT'S PITOT HEAT (R) SWITCH BEING BROKEN AND DISCOVERING IT AS WE TOOK THE RWY IN MILWAUKEE AS THE FLT BEGAN. THE PAX STAYED ON BOARD AT THE GATE AS MAINT REPLACED THE SWITCH. THE SWITCH IS ABOUT 3 INCHES FROM THE GEAR HANDLE AND HE HAD TO REMOVE IT TO GET TO THE PITOT SWITCH. WE FELT HE HAD PROBABLY BROKEN A WIRE LEADING TO THE GEAR AS HE WAS WORKING SO CLOSE TO THE HANDLE. THE PAX WITNESSED THIS, AND WAS ANOTHER REASON WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, AS WE FELT THEIR IMPRESSION OF THE AIRLINE WAS THAT WE FLEW FAULTY EQUIP. THINKING BACK ON IT, THOUGH, FOR PROCEDURAL SAFETY, WE SHOULD'VE DECLARED AN EMER INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT WHAT THE PAX FELT.

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.