Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Troubleshooting; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Human Factors; Manuals
Approach to visual; received GLD UNSAFE caution message.  The message was intermittent when thrust levers were advanced or retracted to flight idle.  Ran QRH; which calls to disarm GLD and message extinguished.  As we put the gear down; received message again; executed a go around; ran QRH with message persisting as it calls to land with flaps 20.  Message extinguished once again when gear was retracted during the go around.  We landed safely with flaps 20; taxied to gate; called dispatch; sector manager; and maintenance.  As First Officer (FO) and I were discussing what had happened; FO stated he thought it was a GLD DISARMED caution message after we put gear down.  This very well could have been as I was in the frame of mind that we had the GLD UNSAFE message several times (intermittent) to this point and so  it was this time also.  We were unable to verify which exact message it was after the gear was selected down as the message extinguished once gear was retracted.  So if it was a GLD DISARMED message after the gear was selected; then that would have let us to land flaps 45 instead of the flaps 20 landing.  Threats were that the message was intermittent; and our communication.  Also the QRH not stating that you will receive a GLD disarm caution message once gear is selected down; and that I was working a QRH procedure for a GLD UNSAFE caution message; and the FO was thinking as if it was a GLD DISARM caution message. Slow down; take our time; verify that we are on the same page.  The QRH procedure for the GLD UNSAFE message needs to have a note stating you will receive a GLD DISARM message only when gear is selected down.
On approach we received a GLD UNSAFE caution message. The message repeatedly cleared and reposted with throttle movement [the aircraft had an existing Engine Speed switch deferral; I do not know if this was related]. The captain; pilot monitoring (PM); ran the QRH; while I PF (pilot flying) slowed the aircraft and followed vectors from ATC for the visual approach. With the ORH completed; ATC cleared us for the approach and sent us to tower frequency. We then lowered the gear and we received a GLD NOT ARMED caution message. Our miscommunication occurred at this point. Given the earlier repeated postings of GLD UNSAFE and seeing 'GLD' the captain was under the impression that we had received the same message as previous [GLD UNSAFE]. Although I asked if the message was associated with the QRH procedure (which had us disarm the GLD); the captain responded with no; we need to run this procedure. Both my question and the captains reponse seemed to fit with our individual thoughts - he was thinking the same message had reposted and he needed to continue with the next section of the GLD UNSAFE procedure; I thought he was referring to running the GLD NOT ARMED procedure.This occurred during a high workload/distraction environment - we were responding to the message; breaking off the approach; and cleaning up the aircraft; and explaining the situation to ATC. Once we retracted the landing gear the message cleared - so we lost the opportunity to verify the QRH procedure with the posted message.While I flew the aircraft & worked the radios; the captain ran the GLD UNSAFE QRH and prepared us for a flaps 20 landing.We [advised ATC] & had asked to have the trucks standing by as a precaution. The captain then handed me the QRH and took the aircraft. It is at this point that I missed another opportunity to expose our miscommunication - the captain handed me the QRH opened to the GLD UNSAFE procedure. Had I questioned him; rather than assuming the page had simply flipped (GLD NOT ARMED was on the following page) we would have realized our error.We performed the flaps 20 landing without incident and taxied to the gate. It was only when we were reviewing the events afterward that we discovered our error. I had seen both messages; but due to the repeat postings of the first message; and the short duration of the second - the captain had only seen GLD UNSAFE.Since the two procedures contradict each other (one has you disarm the GLD; the other has you arm the GLD) I believe that the GLD NOT ARMED message was associated with following the GLD UNSAFE QRH procedure (although the QRH does not note you will receive this message).False situational awareness of both pilots - the captain thought only one message had posted; I thought the captain was running the QRH for the second message.  Aircraft state - since the GLD UNSAFE message had not actually reposted after running the GLD UNSAFE QRH; in hindsight; I believe the flaps 20 landing was unnecessary. While we preformed this procedure with the utmost attention to safety; the procedure itself increased the risks involved in landing the aircraft.  Threats - high workload - not taking the time to verbally announce the posted message. The message was only posted a short time leaving us working off of memory of what we thought had been posted.bv  Errors - I didn't question which procedure the captain ran when he handed me to QRH opened to a page I didn't expect. Instead I assumed the page had flipped.Was the GLD NOT ARMED message associated with the GLD UNSAFE QRH procedure - if so; perhaps a note can be added to expect that message.Verbally verify what message we both saw posted and the correct QRH procedure - rather than assuming we were both on the same page. Since the message was only posted for a short time - that would have been the best way to highlight the problem.
CRJ200 Flight Crew reports confusing a GLD UNSAFE caution message and a GLD NOT ARMED message and ended up preforming the wrong procedure for landing.