Light transport crew had faulty nose gear down and locked indications.

Attributes
ACN	447008
Time
Date	199908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pqi.airport
State Reference	ME
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3900
ASRS Report	447008
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : executed go around none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed bos-pqi on initial approach -- unsafe gear indication. Ran required checklists, still unsafe indication. Both oral and visual cues for unsafe confign. (No nose gear light: red flashing gear in-transit light and horn.) called dispatch on SELCAL. Conferred on course of action. Diverted to bgr international for improved crash fire rescue equipment availability and improved runway capacity. Low pass for a visual inspection by tower. Landed using prescribed procedure. Evacuate/evacuationed passenger through normal front door exit. Landing was uneventful but discovered a bolt wedged in the nose gear drag brace switch. Looked as if bolt had broken the safety wire and wedged itself between pressure plate and disagreement switch which would cause it to detect an unsafe gear condition. Again -- approach, landing, and deplaning were without incident. FAA inspector just happened to be on the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT CREW HAD FAULTY NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATIONS.

Narrative: DEPARTED BOS-PQI ON INITIAL APCH -- UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. RAN REQUIRED CHKLISTS, STILL UNSAFE INDICATION. BOTH ORAL AND VISUAL CUES FOR UNSAFE CONFIGN. (NO NOSE GEAR LIGHT: RED FLASHING GEAR IN-TRANSIT LIGHT AND HORN.) CALLED DISPATCH ON SELCAL. CONFERRED ON COURSE OF ACTION. DIVERTED TO BGR INTL FOR IMPROVED CFR AVAILABILITY AND IMPROVED RWY CAPACITY. LOW PASS FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION BY TWR. LANDED USING PRESCRIBED PROC. EVACED PAX THROUGH NORMAL FRONT DOOR EXIT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT DISCOVERED A BOLT WEDGED IN THE NOSE GEAR DRAG BRACE SWITCH. LOOKED AS IF BOLT HAD BROKEN THE SAFETY WIRE AND WEDGED ITSELF BTWN PRESSURE PLATE AND DISAGREEMENT SWITCH WHICH WOULD CAUSE IT TO DETECT AN UNSAFE GEAR CONDITION. AGAIN -- APCH, LNDG, AND DEPLANING WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FAA INSPECTOR JUST HAPPENED TO BE ON THE FIELD.

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.