Narrative:

An exterior preflight was performed and I noticed that the gear pins had already been removed by the ramp personnel. The main gear pins had already been removed by the ramp personnel. The main gear pins require actual insertion and have red flag streamers attached, which the nose gear has only a metal loop and red flag streamer that is hung over a locking mechanism that extends from the left forward nose section of the aircraft. The loop must be removed before the mechanism can be properly stowed. The main gear pins were noted properly stowed on the flight deck. The aircraft engines were started and the daily run-ups were completed. The passenger were boarded for departure. The aircraft was cleared for start by the ramp agent and left the gate. It departed runway 6 at erie, with the first officer flying. On gear retraction I noticed the 2 main gear door amber, in-transit lights remained illuminated and all 3 nose gear lights remained illuminated. Specifically, 1 amber, nose gear in-transit light, 1 green nose gear down and locked light, and 1 red nose gear unsafe light. The main gear can be partially observed from the flight deck and the main gear doors were visually confirmed to be open. I recycled the gear down and back up, with the same results. Since the main gear doors would not retract, I elected to return to erie airport and land. The gear was extended with 2 green, down and locked lights illuminated. All appropriate checklists were completed. The F/a was advised and an appropriate announcement was made to the passenger. Company operations was advised and normal ATC communications were carried out. No emergency was declared and no special equipment was requested. A normal landing was completed west/O incident. The aircraft was taxied to th gate and met by several company personnel. The engines were shut down. Upon deplaning I observed several ramp personnel in the area of the nose gear locking mechanism which was extended. I was advised that the mechanism was observed extended as the aircraft had taxied to the gate. Th ramp agent that had cleared the aircraft for start for the original flight advised that she had not observed the mechanism extended at the time of that start. The nose gear locking mechanism was then properly stowed. In checking the aircraft, nothing further was determined to have created the problem. The flight was continued west/O incident. It is felt the main contributing factor in this incident was the gear pins being removed by ramp personnel west/O sufficient knowledge of how the nose locking mechanism is properly stowed. This practice has since been stopped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND PERSONNEL IMPROPERLY STOWED NOSE GEAR LOCKING DEVICE. FLT CREW UNABLE TO RAISE GEAR. RETURNED LANDED.

Narrative: AN EXTERIOR PREFLT WAS PERFORMED AND I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR PINS HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL. THE MAIN GEAR PINS HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED BY THE RAMP PERSONNEL. THE MAIN GEAR PINS REQUIRE ACTUAL INSERTION AND HAVE RED FLAG STREAMERS ATTACHED, WHICH THE NOSE GEAR HAS ONLY A METAL LOOP AND RED FLAG STREAMER THAT IS HUNG OVER A LOCKING MECHANISM THAT EXTENDS FROM THE LEFT FORWARD NOSE SECTION OF THE ACFT. THE LOOP MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE MECHANISM CAN BE PROPERLY STOWED. THE MAIN GEAR PINS WERE NOTED PROPERLY STOWED ON THE FLT DECK. THE ACFT ENGS WERE STARTED AND THE DAILY RUN-UPS WERE COMPLETED. THE PAX WERE BOARDED FOR DEP. THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR START BY THE RAMP AGENT AND LEFT THE GATE. IT DEPARTED RWY 6 AT ERIE, WITH THE F/O FLYING. ON GEAR RETRACTION I NOTICED THE 2 MAIN GEAR DOOR AMBER, IN-TRANSIT LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND ALL 3 NOSE GEAR LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. SPECIFICALLY, 1 AMBER, NOSE GEAR IN-TRANSIT LIGHT, 1 GREEN NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT, AND 1 RED NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT. THE MAIN GEAR CAN BE PARTIALLY OBSERVED FROM THE FLT DECK AND THE MAIN GEAR DOORS WERE VISUALLY CONFIRMED TO BE OPEN. I RECYCLED THE GEAR DOWN AND BACK UP, WITH THE SAME RESULTS. SINCE THE MAIN GEAR DOORS WOULD NOT RETRACT, I ELECTED TO RETURN TO ERIE ARPT AND LAND. THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED WITH 2 GREEN, DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. THE F/A WAS ADVISED AND AN APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE TO THE PAX. COMPANY OPS WAS ADVISED AND NORMAL ATC COMS WERE CARRIED OUT. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AND NO SPECIAL EQUIP WAS REQUESTED. A NORMAL LNDG WAS COMPLETED W/O INCIDENT. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO TH GATE AND MET BY SEVERAL COMPANY PERSONNEL. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN. UPON DEPLANING I OBSERVED SEVERAL RAMP PERSONNEL IN THE AREA OF THE NOSE GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM WHICH WAS EXTENDED. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE MECHANISM WAS OBSERVED EXTENDED AS THE ACFT HAD TAXIED TO THE GATE. TH RAMP AGENT THAT HAD CLRED THE ACFT FOR START FOR THE ORIGINAL FLT ADVISED THAT SHE HAD NOT OBSERVED THE MECHANISM EXTENDED AT THE TIME OF THAT START. THE NOSE GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM WAS THEN PROPERLY STOWED. IN CHKING THE ACFT, NOTHING FURTHER WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE CREATED THE PROB. THE FLT WAS CONTINUED W/O INCIDENT. IT IS FELT THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE GEAR PINS BEING REMOVED BY RAMP PERSONNEL W/O SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE NOSE LOCKING MECHANISM IS PROPERLY STOWED. THIS PRACTICE HAS SINCE BEEN STOPPED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.