B737-300 crew had landing gear unsafe light illuminate. While using the gear view port inspection wi...

Attributes
ACN	539258
Time
Date	200202
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	539258
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : lndg gear warning light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Precautionary, landing gear indication. During climb out from hou, the right main landing gear light illuminated. The landing gear was cycled to no effect, and dispatch directed a return to houston. As a precaution on the return, after the landing gear was lowered, I went to the cabin to observe landing gear position using the viewer. I make the following observations: 1) the adhesive used to secure carpet made it very difficult to reveal the viewing window. Since personal tools are no longer an option for pilots, a writing pen had to be borrowed to pry the carpet up. 2) once the port was revealed, it was extremely difficult to view landing gear position due to the position of the passenger seating. The left main was visible without the use of the prism, while the right was only visible by putting one's head between the seat bottom cushion and the baggage restraint bar. This made the focal length to the prism so short, that it was very difficult to focus. 3) the viewer port was very dirty, making it nearly impossible to see the landing gear position marking. The viewer is out of reach from the wheelwell, and not cleanable during preflight inspection. The bottom line is that visual inspection of landing gear position is a much more difficult proposition than it needs to be, principally due to passenger seating position. The viewer needs to be cleaned more often than is currently done. I suggest that cycle be accelerated. This event had an uneventful ending in ideal circumstances. We ought to go to school on this to prevent problems that could result at night or in the WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATE. WHILE USING THE GEAR VIEW PORT INSPECTION WINDOWS IN THE CABIN FLOOR THE FO FOUND THE CARPET ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL UP, A PAX SEAT BLOCKING THE VIEW PORT AND THE VIEW PORT WINDOWS VERY DIRTY.

Narrative: PRECAUTIONARY, LNDG GEAR INDICATION. DURING CLBOUT FROM HOU, THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE LNDG GEAR WAS CYCLED TO NO EFFECT, AND DISPATCH DIRECTED A RETURN TO HOUSTON. AS A PRECAUTION ON THE RETURN, AFTER THE LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED, I WENT TO THE CABIN TO OBSERVE LNDG GEAR POS USING THE VIEWER. I MAKE THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS: 1) THE ADHESIVE USED TO SECURE CARPET MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REVEAL THE VIEWING WINDOW. SINCE PERSONAL TOOLS ARE NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR PLTS, A WRITING PEN HAD TO BE BORROWED TO PRY THE CARPET UP. 2) ONCE THE PORT WAS REVEALED, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO VIEW LNDG GEAR POS DUE TO THE POS OF THE PAX SEATING. THE L MAIN WAS VISIBLE WITHOUT THE USE OF THE PRISM, WHILE THE R WAS ONLY VISIBLE BY PUTTING ONE'S HEAD BTWN THE SEAT BOTTOM CUSHION AND THE BAGGAGE RESTRAINT BAR. THIS MADE THE FOCAL LENGTH TO THE PRISM SO SHORT, THAT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO FOCUS. 3) THE VIEWER PORT WAS VERY DIRTY, MAKING IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE LNDG GEAR POS MARKING. THE VIEWER IS OUT OF REACH FROM THE WHEELWELL, AND NOT CLEANABLE DURING PREFLT INSPECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT VISUAL INSPECTION OF LNDG GEAR POS IS A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT PROPOSITION THAN IT NEEDS TO BE, PRINCIPALLY DUE TO PAX SEATING POS. THE VIEWER NEEDS TO BE CLEANED MORE OFTEN THAN IS CURRENTLY DONE. I SUGGEST THAT CYCLE BE ACCELERATED. THIS EVENT HAD AN UNEVENTFUL ENDING IN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES. WE OUGHT TO GO TO SCHOOL ON THIS TO PREVENT PROBS THAT COULD RESULT AT NIGHT OR IN THE WX.

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.

B737-300 crew had landing gear unsafe light illuminate. While using the gear view port inspection windows in the cabin floor the first officer found the carpet almost impossible to pull up, a passenger seat blocking the view port and the view port windows very dirty.