The Captain spoke to the controller by radio, asking for more time to check the faulty light. He also quickly made a check on how much fuel he had. Aircraft carry extra fuel for unexpected delays.
The focus returned to the faulty indicator light. Their hunch was that the wheel was down ;but the indicator light was transfixing them and they kept discussing it.
Out of the window they saw that they were crossing Krome Avenue highway.
The low altitude warning alarm chimed briefly. The alarm was located at the Flight Engineers area which was behind the co-pilots seat. Unfortunately the Flight engineer was not at his seat. He had gone below the cockpit (into the "hell hole") to use the visual system to see if the wheels were down . Thus no one heard the low altitude alarm.
The co-pilot was still trying to repair the light and told the Captain that it was stuck. The Captain then told him to leave it alone.
Captain to air traffic controller: Eastern 401 'll go ah, out west just a little further if we can here and, ah, see if we can get this light to come on here Air traffic controller: Alright, ah, we got you headed westbound there now, Eastern 401 Captain to air traffic controller: Alright Captain: How much fuel we got left on this # # # # Someone: Fifty two five Co-pilot: (It won't come out) no way Captain: Did you ever take it out of there? Co-pilot: Huh? Captain: Have you ever taken it out of there? Co-pilot: Hadn't till now Captain: Put it in the wrong way, huh? Co-pilot: In there looks * square to me Someone: Can't you get the hole lined up?
Captain: (What's that?) Co-pilot: I think that's over the training field xxxx ? West heading you wanna go left or * Co-pilot: Naw that's right, we're about to cross Krome Avenue right now [Sound of click] [Sound of altitude alert] (unfortunately nobody seemed to have heard the alarm) Captain: We can tell if that # # # # is down by looking down at our indices Captain: I'm sure it's down, there's no way it couldnt help but be Co-pilot: I'm sure it is Captain: It freefalls down ( telling about the aircraft having a mechanism for gravity to lower the wheels ) Co-pilot: The tests didn't show that the lights worked anyway Captain: That 's right Co-pilot: It's a faulty light Co-pilot: Bob, this # # # # just won't come out (the "wheel down" indicator light wont come out of its holder) Captain: Alright leave it there
