Narrative:

I was the first officer on flight from phf to phl. It was raining and windy as I did a walkaround. I pulled the gear pins and took off the right propeller tie. As I came around the nose of the aircraft, I twisted the nose beam lock plate and pushed it in. On departure when the captain called for the gear to be placed up, we received a nose gear down indication along with the main gear doors showing down. We proceeded to return to phf to do the ILS 7. We did an alternate gear extension and landed uneventfully. Upon deplaning the aircraft, we found that the nose gear down lock pins was out. After talking to the ramp agent who marshalled us from the gate he informed me that the pin was pushed in on departure from the ramp. The pin must have popped back out on the taxi to the runway. It would be helpful for manufacturer to add a caution light to the panel in the event that this pin is not properly secured or it comes out during taxi. The company should not be pulling this pin on over night layovers. It should be left to maintenance or ramp pushbacks from the gate. Supplemental information from acn 228660. The agent that marshalled us out also said it was in when we departed the ramp. So it must have 'popped' out on takeoff. In my opinion there should be some kind of warning or caution light for the locking mechanism if they are going to use that kind of system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT COMMUTER HAS TO RETURN LAND DUE TO INABILITY TO RAISE NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON FLT FROM PHF TO PHL. IT WAS RAINING AND WINDY AS I DID A WALKAROUND. I PULLED THE GEAR PINS AND TOOK OFF THE R PROP TIE. AS I CAME AROUND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT, I TWISTED THE NOSE BEAM LOCK PLATE AND PUSHED IT IN. ON DEP WHEN THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE GEAR TO BE PLACED UP, WE RECEIVED A NOSE GEAR DOWN INDICATION ALONG WITH THE MAIN GEAR DOORS SHOWING DOWN. WE PROCEEDED TO RETURN TO PHF TO DO THE ILS 7. WE DID AN ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. UPON DEPLANING THE ACFT, WE FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK PINS WAS OUT. AFTER TALKING TO THE RAMP AGENT WHO MARSHALLED US FROM THE GATE HE INFORMED ME THAT THE PIN WAS PUSHED IN ON DEP FROM THE RAMP. THE PIN MUST HAVE POPPED BACK OUT ON THE TAXI TO THE RWY. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR MANUFACTURER TO ADD A CAUTION LIGHT TO THE PANEL IN THE EVENT THAT THIS PIN IS NOT PROPERLY SECURED OR IT COMES OUT DURING TAXI. THE COMPANY SHOULD NOT BE PULLING THIS PIN ON OVER NIGHT LAYOVERS. IT SHOULD BE LEFT TO MAINT OR RAMP PUSHBACKS FROM THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 228660. THE AGENT THAT MARSHALLED US OUT ALSO SAID IT WAS IN WHEN WE DEPARTED THE RAMP. SO IT MUST HAVE 'POPPED' OUT ON TKOF. IN MY OPINION THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF WARNING OR CAUTION LIGHT FOR THE LOCKING MECHANISM IF THEY ARE GOING TO USE THAT KIND OF SYS.

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.