Narrative:

During preflight preparation a discussion between the pilots and maintenance personnel delayed the scheduled flight and put a sense of urgency and tension on everyone involved. Although a normal preflight was conducted and no items were left out, a gear pin placed in the nose gear was not detected. The flight continued and shortly after takeoff the gear handle was selected 'up.' the main gear retracted normally, however the nose gear remained 'down and green.' a radio discussion with maintenance and with the control tower verified the indications. Although the 3 maintenance personnel present were the only ones on duty that day (maintenance is responsible for installing and removing the pins) none had a recollection of having installed the pin. (The aircraft flew a morning shift that same day and was 'in the hands of' maintenance the 5 hours between shifts). It was suspected, however, that the pin was still in place. The nearest 'large' airport (nearly 90 mi) requested the emergency equipment. (This airport was also original destination). The pin was indeed installed by maintenance, who failed to remove it, and the preflight failed to detect the installed pin. The pin itself is in a very inconspicuous position and can be very difficult to locate and identify. Therefore a chain with a red flag on the end is to call attention to its presence. After the flight, the flag was not red, but was a dirty metallic color that blended in well with other gear parts, thereby not lending itself to easy identify. It is also possible that the chain or flag was snagged and not even hanging down from gear bay to be seen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT UNABLE TO RAISE NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF. NOSE GEAR PIN NOT REMOVED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PREPARATION A DISCUSSION BTWN THE PLTS AND MAINT PERSONNEL DELAYED THE SCHEDULED FLT AND PUT A SENSE OF URGENCY AND TENSION ON EVERYONE INVOLVED. ALTHOUGH A NORMAL PREFLT WAS CONDUCTED AND NO ITEMS WERE LEFT OUT, A GEAR PIN PLACED IN THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DETECTED. THE FLT CONTINUED AND SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE GEAR HANDLE WAS SELECTED 'UP.' THE MAIN GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY, HOWEVER THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED 'DOWN AND GREEN.' A RADIO DISCUSSION WITH MAINT AND WITH THE CTL TWR VERIFIED THE INDICATIONS. ALTHOUGH THE 3 MAINT PERSONNEL PRESENT WERE THE ONLY ONES ON DUTY THAT DAY (MAINT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING THE PINS) NONE HAD A RECOLLECTION OF HAVING INSTALLED THE PIN. (THE ACFT FLEW A MORNING SHIFT THAT SAME DAY AND WAS 'IN THE HANDS OF' MAINT THE 5 HRS BTWN SHIFTS). IT WAS SUSPECTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE PIN WAS STILL IN PLACE. THE NEAREST 'LARGE' ARPT (NEARLY 90 MI) REQUESTED THE EMER EQUIP. (THIS ARPT WAS ALSO ORIGINAL DEST). THE PIN WAS INDEED INSTALLED BY MAINT, WHO FAILED TO REMOVE IT, AND THE PREFLT FAILED TO DETECT THE INSTALLED PIN. THE PIN ITSELF IS IN A VERY INCONSPICUOUS POS AND CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AND IDENT. THEREFORE A CHAIN WITH A RED FLAG ON THE END IS TO CALL ATTN TO ITS PRESENCE. AFTER THE FLT, THE FLAG WAS NOT RED, BUT WAS A DIRTY METALLIC COLOR THAT BLENDED IN WELL WITH OTHER GEAR PARTS, THEREBY NOT LENDING ITSELF TO EASY IDENT. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE CHAIN OR FLAG WAS SNAGGED AND NOT EVEN HANGING DOWN FROM GEAR BAY TO BE SEEN.

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.