FAA Aviation Mechanic Airframe (AMA)Landing Gear SystemsEasy
A pilot selects the landing gear handle to the DOWN position, but the nose gear position indicator shows a red light with no green light illuminated. What does this indicate?
- AThe nose gear is down and locked
- BThe nose gear is up and locked
- CThe nose gear is in transit or has failed to reach the fully down-and-locked position
- DThe squat switch has failed and no data is available
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The nose gear is in transit or has failed to reach the fully down-and-locked position
On most gear position indicating systems, a green light signals down-and-locked, an amber/red light signals gear in transit or unsafe, and no light typically means up-and-locked. A red light with no green confirms the gear has not reached a locked-down state.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Down-and-locked is indicated by a green light, not red.
- B. Up-and-locked is normally shown by all lights extinguished, not a red light.
- D. A red indication is meaningful gear-position data, not evidence of a failed squat switch.
Landing Gear Position Indicator
A cockpit lighting system that shows whether each landing gear is up-and-locked, down-and-locked, or in transit.
- Green light = down and locked
- Red/amber light = in transit or unsafe
- No light (in most systems) = up and locked
- Driven by mechanical or electrical downlock/uplock switches
Memory trick: Green means go-ahead-land, red means retry.