MD-83
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting; Workload; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
After taking off and raising the landing gear; the nose gear light remained red. When at a safe altitude; the Captain (pilot flying) took the radios and asked me to accomplish the QRH procedures. After following QRH procedures and verifying that the light remained green with the gear extended; I retracted the gear and the light remained red. The Captain transferred controls to me and made calls to Dispatch; Maintenance; and Operations. It was decided to return to the departure airport. Announcements were made to the passengers after discussing the situation with the flight attendants. The Captain and I discussed whether to declare an emergency. We decided that since all three lights and the pin indicated a safe gear in the extended position; we would only declare an emergency if the unsafe light was red with the gear extended. We decided to lower the gear early in the approach; which produced green lights on all three gears. A short time later; the nose gear light turned red and alternated red and green sporadically. Vectors were requested from ATC to 'break off' the approach to accomplish QRH procedures; and declared an emergency. After completing the QRH and the return checklist; we asked for vectors back to the approach and landed without further incident.
[Narrative 2 contained no additional information.]
A MD-83 landing gear indicating system malfunctioned after takeoff so an emergency was declared; the QRH completed and; after an uneventful landing; a nose landing gear position fault was discovered.