Definition
Misleading signals from a retractable landing gear indicator system that show the gear as safely down and locked when it is not, or as unsafe when it actually is. These false indications can result from burned-out bulbs, faulty switches, broken wiring, or other electrical defects in the gear position circuit.
Plain English
When the cockpit landing gear lights are lying to you. The light says the wheels are down and locked, but they aren't — or it shows a problem when there really isn't one. The fault is in the indicator system itself, not necessarily the gear.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight checks and system checks on airplanes with landing gear that can move up and down.
Derivation
False comes from an old word meaning “deceptive” or “wrong.” Indication means a sign or signal. Safe, in this cockpit-light use, means the system is showing a safe condition, not that the whole airplane has been proven safe.
Why Pilots Care
Relying on a false safe indication can result in takeoff or landing with an unlocked or inoperative system, leading to gear collapse or loss of control.
Analogy
It is like a car dashboard saying a door is closed when the door is actually not fully latched. The light is only as reliable as the switch and wiring behind it.
Grounding Statement
The key idea is that an indicator light reports what its circuit senses, and that report can be wrong.
Intuition Check
“Safe light” does not mean the airplane is automatically safe. It means the light is indicating a safe condition, and that indication can be false.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the instructor explained how a burned-out bulb can produce false safe light indications and walked through the press-to-test procedure for the gear lights.
Example Sentence 2
The checklist directs the pilot to confirm there are no false safe light indications before releasing the brakes for taxi.