A commercial rated pilot flying a PA34 was unable to extend the nose gear for landing at L15, nv.

Attributes
ACN	430194
Time
Date	199903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l15.airport
State Reference	NV
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : l15.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-34-200 Seneca I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 105
ASRS Report	430194
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Don't exactly know what caused the nose gear from not wanting to go up or down completely. Believe it may have been a mechanical failure of some sort. I discovered the problem after takeoff when transition light would not shut off. I then recycled the gear and got only the main gear indicator lights to come on (2 green lights). I then tried again and got no luck. I got the checklist out, followed it verbatim. I then proceeded towards henderson airport (L15) from my departure point (A09) eagle. I did my best to troubleshoot the problem, but nothing seemed to get the gear to come down. When I got the henderson, they checked to see if landing gear had come down. They reported that the main landing gear was down, but the nose gear seemed 1/2 way. I asked for any suggestions on how to get it down. They did all they could. I tried everything in checklist to get the gear down -- even deploying the emergency landing gear system -- no luck. I decided to land the aircraft near sunset about XA45. The tower advised me that the safety vehicles were in place. I followed the checklist for this scenario and executed successfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL RATED PLT FLYING A PA34 WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR FOR LNDG AT L15, NV.

Narrative: DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR FROM NOT WANTING TO GO UP OR DOWN COMPLETELY. BELIEVE IT MAY HAVE BEEN A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF SOME SORT. I DISCOVERED THE PROB AFTER TKOF WHEN TRANSITION LIGHT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. I THEN RECYCLED THE GEAR AND GOT ONLY THE MAIN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS TO COME ON (2 GREEN LIGHTS). I THEN TRIED AGAIN AND GOT NO LUCK. I GOT THE CHKLIST OUT, FOLLOWED IT VERBATIM. I THEN PROCEEDED TOWARDS HENDERSON ARPT (L15) FROM MY DEP POINT (A09) EAGLE. I DID MY BEST TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB, BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO GET THE GEAR TO COME DOWN. WHEN I GOT THE HENDERSON, THEY CHKED TO SEE IF LNDG GEAR HAD COME DOWN. THEY RPTED THAT THE MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN, BUT THE NOSE GEAR SEEMED 1/2 WAY. I ASKED FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET IT DOWN. THEY DID ALL THEY COULD. I TRIED EVERYTHING IN CHKLIST TO GET THE GEAR DOWN -- EVEN DEPLOYING THE EMER LNDG GEAR SYS -- NO LUCK. I DECIDED TO LAND THE ACFT NEAR SUNSET ABOUT XA45. THE TWR ADVISED ME THAT THE SAFETY VEHICLES WERE IN PLACE. I FOLLOWED THE CHKLIST FOR THIS SCENARIO AND EXECUTED SUCCESSFULLY.

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.