Narrative:

During takeoff after a positive rate of climb, I said gear up, the first officer selected gear up. The unsafe advisory light (red) came on and the (green) down and lock lights stayed on. The gear did not retract. I told the first officer to look in the emergency checklist under gear inoperative. The first officer said there was nothing listed under 'gear will not retract.' upon hearing that, I told the first officer to tell the tower we wanted to return to land. The tower cleared us to land. When the first officer selected gear down the unsafe advisory lights (red) went out. The 3 green lights stayed on. We made a normal landing taxied clear of the runway. Upon doing the after landing checklist, we found that the landing gear alternate release door was open, closed it, taxied back in line for takeoff after receiving a new release. I feel to prevent a recurrence, a caution warning light should be incorporated into the annunciator panel indicating that the landing gear alternate release door is open. Supplemental information from acn 225141. Captain requested I pull the emergency, abnormal checklist for appropriate gear indication. I advised him that there was no checklist for our gear indication. After landing checklist we noted the alternate landing gear release door was open which inhibits hydraulics for gear retraction. I feel we should have a caution warning light indicating this door is open. Had we lost an engine and couldn't retract the gear the results could have been quite different.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MDT AIRCREW RETURNED AND LANDED BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T RAISE THE LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: DURING TKOF AFTER A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB, I SAID GEAR UP, THE FO SELECTED GEAR UP. THE UNSAFE ADVISORY LIGHT (RED) CAME ON AND THE (GREEN) DOWN AND LOCK LIGHTS STAYED ON. THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. I TOLD THE FO TO LOOK IN THE EMER CHKLIST UNDER GEAR INOP. THE FO SAID THERE WAS NOTHING LISTED UNDER 'GEAR WILL NOT RETRACT.' UPON HEARING THAT, I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THE TWR WE WANTED TO RETURN TO LAND. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND. WHEN THE FO SELECTED GEAR DOWN THE UNSAFE ADVISORY LIGHTS (RED) WENT OUT. THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS STAYED ON. WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. UPON DOING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST, WE FOUND THAT THE LNDG GEAR ALTERNATE RELEASE DOOR WAS OPEN, CLOSED IT, TAXIED BACK IN LINE FOR TKOF AFTER RECEIVING A NEW RELEASE. I FEEL TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, A CAUTION WARNING LIGHT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL INDICATING THAT THE LNDG GEAR ALTERNATE RELEASE DOOR IS OPEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 225141. CAPT REQUESTED I PULL THE EMER, ABNORMAL CHKLIST FOR APPROPRIATE GEAR INDICATION. I ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WAS NO CHKLIST FOR OUR GEAR INDICATION. AFTER LNDG CHKLIST WE NOTED THE ALTERNATE LNDG GEAR RELEASE DOOR WAS OPEN WHICH INHIBITS HYDRAULICS FOR GEAR RETRACTION. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE A CAUTION WARNING LIGHT INDICATING THIS DOOR IS OPEN. HAD WE LOST AN ENG AND COULDN'T RETRACT THE GEAR THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT.

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.