Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Troubleshooting; Workload; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
I was given clearance to depart RWY XXL in ZZZ. Up through that point everything went okay. I had no issues with Preflight; Engine start; Taxi etc. After taking off; rotating; and pulling the gear handle up with a positive rate of climb; I was awaiting all the proper lights to extinguish. All lights did extinguish; except the NOSE gear light. I do not recall hearing or feeling the normal audible 'thump'. Although these things happened while I was communicating with Tower on Frequency 1; I was transferred over to Departure on Frequency 2 and waited until I was with Departure to state that I had an issue with the landing gear. I recognized the issue almost simultaneously with the transfer and instinctively pressed the annunciator light check button to see if all the proper lights came on; and they did. The first Departure Controller sounded female. She asked what I wanted to do; what I recall saying is that I thought I might have to return to the airport and requested extended vectors so I could run my checklists. She leveled me off at 2;000 MSL. I believe once leveled off she asked me if it were an emergency; and I said not yet; but not completely sure. I grabbed the company QRH while climbing and started reading the Abnormal Landing Gear Will Not Retract Hydraulically checklist. After level at 2;000 [feet] and configured for cruise; I read the note and checklist; then fully cycled the gear once. When I put the gear handle in the down position; I watched all the proper lights illuminate; until everything indicated fully down and locked. When I retracted the gear; I watched all the proper lights illuminate; but continued to receive the initial result. The NOSE light remained illuminated; while all the other lights were extinguished. At this point; I knew I could not proceed over water to another destination. I let Departure know I would definitely need to return to the airport. She asked if I was [advising]; and initially I said no; because it was an abnormal checklist; but then said yes because it was the NOSE wheel and I was afraid of a possible tip over and prop strike. At this point I didn't know if I could trust the gear being up or down. Since the checklist flowchart answer was YES; I immediately moved to Abnormal Landing Gear Down and Locked Light Illuminated with the Gear Switch Up and HYD PRESS Light Out checklist as it instructed. I read the complete checklist and slowed down to 120 KIAS; to meet the 130 KIAS requirement; put the gear handle in the down position; and pulled the HYD circuit breaker. Departure checked on me to see how I was doing; and asked me to tell her when I wanted to turn back. I was still running checklist and said OK. Once I completed all steps; I read the Abnormal [checklist] Landing with Defective Nose Gear asked to return to the airport; as the checklist instructed. I let Departure know I was ready to return; she asked which way I wanted to turn. I requested turns to the right. She asked me which runway would I like to use and I said [Runway] XXR. She asked if I was sure; so I changed to [Runway] XXL since it was longer; but had already started vectoring right. She asked me what happened. I said the landing gear light remained illuminated after takeoff. I cycled the gear to see if it would go out and it didn't; I went through my checklists and now I was flying at 120 KIAS to keep from damaging the gear. She clarified by asking something like 'so one of the landing gears would not go up; right?' and I confirmed that and said I could no longer trust the lighted indication; so I pulled the emergency gear down. After a few moments of silence; a different Departure controller came on. This controller sounded male. The rest of them from now until I safely parked did. At this time; I was flying a downwind direction and I prepared for the approach to Runway XXL. Departure stated that he would have me turn base XX miles away. I set up the GPS and briefed the approach plate for RNAV XXL. Once done; I kept reading the checklist to ensure I was clear on what to do and when. All other aircraft landings and departures were continuing on XXR. I was vectored to final for XXL somewhere prior to the FAF approach; and asked to intercept the LOC for XXL; but since I'd selected the RNAV XXL and briefed that approach already; and it was VMC; I didn't change my configuration to the ILS to keep from becoming task saturated prior to an [urgent] landing. I was switched to Tower; who notified me of traffic landing on XXR and cleared me to land. I turned off all switches except mags; flared and landed with the nose wheel kept high; then turned off mixtures and mags. Everything seemed to be done safely with no issues. When the nose wheel came down; it was slowly; gently and the plane remained upright. On the rollout; at about taxi speed; I turned on the battery and avionics (only) to speak to ATC; and stated that I had left over momentum and was exiting left on Taxiway Q but the engines were off due to completion of the checklists. I tried to completely clear the runway. I noticed that a white pickup truck that had been holding short of XXL followed behind me on the runway and then drove around the plane to check it out and reported back to ATC that I was indeed past the hold short line and everything looked okay. I did not initiate a ground evacuation; because I had no passengers; I felt safe; and hoped to get normal operations back as soon as possible. They immediately continued operations on [Runway] XXL. Then they; the driver of the truck and ATC asked what I planned to do. I said I needed to return to the FBO; which was on the other side of the airport. ATC asked how I would get to FBO since I had shut down the engines. I said I would like to try to restart and taxi to see if it was possible to taxi under my own power or if I needed a tow. ATC suggested I do the practice taxi on Taxiway. The truck moved away because it was in front of me on [taxiway to] left. I tried to taxi slowly and it was successful; so I requested the taxi to the FBO. After verifying I was OK; the white truck left. At intersection; ATC allowed me to cross [Runway] XXL and take Taxiway to the FBO. After crossing over to Taxiway; he asked if I could see the FBO. I confirmed that I did and arrived safely.
Pilot reported nose landing gear unsafe light on gear retraction after takeoff; causing an air turn back and precautionary landing.