Narrative:

On a through flight we were forced by hydraulic system 'a' failure and related problems to return to the gate twice. In both cases, we were towed back in by maintenance. Despite the fact that the cockpit crew followed all pertinent FARS and company procedures, the aircraft took off with the nose gear pin installed. This occurred, (we believe) due to a maintenance and/or pushback crew oversight. In fact, the pushback crew, upon disconnecting tug from aircraft made the required statement 'pins removed, steering connected,' and subsequently waved us off. Due to inability to raise nose gear after takeoff, we were forced to dump fuel. Return to msp. I should add that our aircraft was properly repaired, svced, signed off prior to departure. To lessen the likelihood of this recurring, I suggest limiting access to gear pins to lead mechanics and requiring pushback crews to display gear pins at wave off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TOLD ON PUSHBACK 'PINS REMOVED, STEERING CONNECTED.' UNABLE RETRACT NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF. MUST DUMP FUEL, RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ON A THROUGH FLT WE WERE FORCED BY HYD SYS 'A' FAILURE AND RELATED PROBLEMS TO RETURN TO THE GATE TWICE. IN BOTH CASES, WE WERE TOWED BACK IN BY MAINT. DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE COCKPIT CREW FOLLOWED ALL PERTINENT FARS AND COMPANY PROCS, THE ACFT TOOK OFF WITH THE NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. THIS OCCURRED, (WE BELIEVE) DUE TO A MAINT AND/OR PUSHBACK CREW OVERSIGHT. IN FACT, THE PUSHBACK CREW, UPON DISCONNECTING TUG FROM ACFT MADE THE REQUIRED STATEMENT 'PINS REMOVED, STEERING CONNECTED,' AND SUBSEQUENTLY WAVED US OFF. DUE TO INABILITY TO RAISE NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF, WE WERE FORCED TO DUMP FUEL. RETURN TO MSP. I SHOULD ADD THAT OUR ACFT WAS PROPERLY REPAIRED, SVCED, SIGNED OFF PRIOR TO DEP. TO LESSEN THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS RECURRING, I SUGGEST LIMITING ACCESS TO GEAR PINS TO LEAD MECHS AND REQUIRING PUSHBACK CREWS TO DISPLAY GEAR PINS AT WAVE OFF.

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.