Aircraft equipment problem mandates a diversion to an alternate airport for a precautionary landing.

Attributes
ACN	206784
Time
Date	199204
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbd
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	206784
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 100
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Arrived at the airport (lgb) at xypm after a yypm call for a medical emergency charter pickup at norton AFB (sbd) and then to go on to lexington, ky (lex). I (captain) did normal paperwork. Aircraft was already on the line. I received a dispatch release from the main office and supervised fueling and filed flight plans. The type rated copilot did the interior and exterior preflts in accordance with our standard doctrine. After fueling I went to main door after a look to see if fuel door was properly closed. The copilot indicated the preflight was completed. Copilot flew the deadhead leg to sbd from the left seat. Flight seemed normal. On landing we had difficulty with getting credit for fuel and a page came to us from the hospital dispatcher. The copilot monitored fueling while I handled the 2 problems at the base operations office. By the time I got back, the ambulance had arrived with the medical crew. I confirmed the fuel door was secure and we departed on taxi out a bit of a rubbing noise was heard and then disappeared. This noise again sounded after V1. Takeoff was accomplished normally, but a gear up unsafe light was showing. Gear was recycled 2 times with no improvement. Fuel was dumped and a precautionary landing was made at ont. The noise was again heard on taxi in. Shutdown was normal. Investigation discovered the nose gear scissors were disconnected and the pin was hanging loose. The copilot did not remember connecting it as per the normal preflight. Neither did the line person who admitted not much experience with towing. The cause was clearly multi- faceted. Our normal mechanic was unavailable to supervise towing. The copilot and captain felt rushed in that a life was on the line for a pediatric heart transplant. It was night. An inexperienced line person towed the aircraft. The hour was late and the crew had been up all day. Supplemental information from acn 206279: there is an appearance of a failure of the swash plate which butts the ball stops in the linkage pin.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM MANDATES A DIVERSION TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT THE ARPT (LGB) AT XYPM AFTER A YYPM CALL FOR A MEDICAL EMER CHARTER PICKUP AT NORTON AFB (SBD) AND THEN TO GO ON TO LEXINGTON, KY (LEX). I (CAPT) DID NORMAL PAPERWORK. ACFT WAS ALREADY ON THE LINE. I RECEIVED A DISPATCH RELEASE FROM THE MAIN OFFICE AND SUPERVISED FUELING AND FILED FLT PLANS. THE TYPE RATED COPLT DID THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PREFLTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR STANDARD DOCTRINE. AFTER FUELING I WENT TO MAIN DOOR AFTER A LOOK TO SEE IF FUEL DOOR WAS PROPERLY CLOSED. THE COPLT INDICATED THE PREFLT WAS COMPLETED. COPLT FLEW THE DEADHEAD LEG TO SBD FROM THE L SEAT. FLT SEEMED NORMAL. ON LNDG WE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH GETTING CREDIT FOR FUEL AND A PAGE CAME TO US FROM THE HOSPITAL DISPATCHER. THE COPLT MONITORED FUELING WHILE I HANDLED THE 2 PROBLEMS AT THE BASE OPS OFFICE. BY THE TIME I GOT BACK, THE AMBULANCE HAD ARRIVED WITH THE MEDICAL CREW. I CONFIRMED THE FUEL DOOR WAS SECURE AND WE DEPARTED ON TAXI OUT A BIT OF A RUBBING NOISE WAS HEARD AND THEN DISAPPEARED. THIS NOISE AGAIN SOUNDED AFTER V1. TKOF WAS ACCOMPLISHED NORMALLY, BUT A GEAR UP UNSAFE LIGHT WAS SHOWING. GEAR WAS RECYCLED 2 TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. FUEL WAS DUMPED AND A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS MADE AT ONT. THE NOISE WAS AGAIN HEARD ON TAXI IN. SHUTDOWN WAS NORMAL. INVESTIGATION DISCOVERED THE NOSE GEAR SCISSORS WERE DISCONNECTED AND THE PIN WAS HANGING LOOSE. THE COPLT DID NOT REMEMBER CONNECTING IT AS PER THE NORMAL PREFLT. NEITHER DID THE LINE PERSON WHO ADMITTED NOT MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH TOWING. THE CAUSE WAS CLRLY MULTI- FACETED. OUR NORMAL MECH WAS UNAVAILABLE TO SUPERVISE TOWING. THE COPLT AND CAPT FELT RUSHED IN THAT A LIFE WAS ON THE LINE FOR A PEDIATRIC HEART TRANSPLANT. IT WAS NIGHT. AN INEXPERIENCED LINE PERSON TOWED THE ACFT. THE HR WAS LATE AND THE CREW HAD BEEN UP ALL DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 206279: THERE IS AN APPEARANCE OF A FAILURE OF THE SWASH PLATE WHICH BUTTS THE BALL STOPS IN THE LINKAGE PIN.

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.