Beech BE1900 flight crew has a gear indication malfunction during approach.

Attributes
ACN	723036
Time
Date	200701
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	723036
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : landed as precaution
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I asked the PNF to put the gear down. We did not get the main gear down and locked indication. I flew 2 passes by the tower. First pass they said the right main gear did not look down. The second pass they thought the gear was down. I was not confident the gear was safe; so I declared an emergency. My first officer and I performed the manual gear extension. I then landed the aircraft and evacuate/evacuationed the passenger. I did try different things to see if the gear was down and locked. I was confident it was a light bulb problem. However pilots are not authority/authorized to change the light bulbs on the aircraft. When the tower told me they thought the main gear was not down it made me unsure; so I took the safest course of action and followed procedure. If I could have changed the light bulbs I could have been sure the gear was down and locked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH BE1900 FLT CREW HAS A GEAR INDICATION MALFUNCTION DURING APCH.

Narrative: I ASKED THE PNF TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN. WE DID NOT GET THE MAIN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. I FLEW 2 PASSES BY THE TWR. FIRST PASS THEY SAID THE R MAIN GEAR DID NOT LOOK DOWN. THE SECOND PASS THEY THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. I WAS NOT CONFIDENT THE GEAR WAS SAFE; SO I DECLARED AN EMER. MY FO AND I PERFORMED THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION. I THEN LANDED THE ACFT AND EVACED THE PAX. I DID TRY DIFFERENT THINGS TO SEE IF THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. I WAS CONFIDENT IT WAS A LIGHT BULB PROB. HOWEVER PLTS ARE NOT AUTH TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULBS ON THE ACFT. WHEN THE TWR TOLD ME THEY THOUGHT THE MAIN GEAR WAS NOT DOWN IT MADE ME UNSURE; SO I TOOK THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION AND FOLLOWED PROC. IF I COULD HAVE CHANGED THE LIGHT BULBS I COULD HAVE BEEN SURE THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.