BE1900 flight crew has malfunctioning landing gear system, declared an emergency and returns to dfw.

Attributes
ACN	589825
Time
Date	200308
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : cve.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1420 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	589825
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On aug/fri/03, departing dfw en route to ecd, captain was the PF, upon retracting the landing gear I noticed that the gear in-transit light located in the gear handle did not illuminate. We continued to climb. While in the climb, we troubleshot the situation, called our dispatch via SELCAL. We concluded that the gear was functioning properly but we decided to return to dfw. We declared an emergency with approach and informed them of the nature of the emergency. They vectored us to runway 18R. The landing was uneventful and the gear was functioning properly. An FAA inspector met us at the gate, we described the situation to him. He took our information and left. We received a ferry permit and ferried the aircraft to lit. Maintenance concluded that the gear handle malfunctioned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE1900 FLT CREW HAS MALFUNCTIONING LNDG GEAR SYS, DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNS TO DFW.

Narrative: ON AUG/FRI/03, DEPARTING DFW ENRTE TO ECD, CAPT WAS THE PF, UPON RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR IN-TRANSIT LIGHT LOCATED IN THE GEAR HANDLE DID NOT ILLUMINATE. WE CONTINUED TO CLB. WHILE IN THE CLB, WE TROUBLESHOT THE SIT, CALLED OUR DISPATCH VIA SELCAL. WE CONCLUDED THAT THE GEAR WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY BUT WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO DFW. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE NATURE OF THE EMER. THEY VECTORED US TO RWY 18R. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE GEAR WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. AN FAA INSPECTOR MET US AT THE GATE, WE DESCRIBED THE SIT TO HIM. HE TOOK OUR INFO AND LEFT. WE RECEIVED A FERRY PERMIT AND FERRIED THE ACFT TO LIT. MAINT CONCLUDED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE MALFUNCTIONED.

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.