A PAL Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration C-FPAE performing flight PB-1922 from Churchill Falls, NL to Deer Lake, NL (Canada) with 47 passengers and 4 crew, was on approach to Deer Lake when the crew received an unsafe nose gear indication and went around at about 11:40L (15:10Z). The crew performed a low approach to Deer Lake to have the nose gear inspected from the ground, which showed the nose gear was not down. Due to the present weather at Deer Lake, the crew decided to divert to Stephenville, NL (Canada) where the crew performed a nose gear up landing at 12:30L (16:00Z). There were no injuries, the damage to the aircraft is being assessed.
The airline reported the aircraft “had an indication of a potential nose landing gear issue. The crew followed prescribed procedures including a flyby of the Deer Lake control tower for a visual indication of the nose gear position. Given adverse weather in Deer Lake, the aircraft proceeded to Stephenville for landing as the nose gear could not be confirmed as locked. Stephenville Airport rescue vehicles met the aircraft on landing. The aircraft landed without the nose gear locked in position and came to a stop on the runway.”
