Light transport commuter departs with left gear pin still installed. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	229203
Time
Date	199212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw tracon : sna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	229203
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft arrived at ramp approximately XA00 am local. I went to preflight aircraft, grabbed a flashlight, proceeded to preflight aircraft. Upon reaching left main gear area, did not notice gear pin in landing gear assembly, thought maintenance might have pulled pins. Continued preflight, found pin in right main gear assembly, continued and completed preflight. Went back to left main gear assembly, climbed on wheel assembly. Still did not notice any gear pin. Check storage area in airstair door. Did not find pin. Went back to gear assembly. Still did not see gear pin. Told captain that I thought we were missing a gear pin. Decided to call dispatch and inform them. They said to go on with the flight that they would find one for us when we returned. Upon takeoff left main gear did not retract. Returned to dtw without incident. Maintenance met aircraft, found pin in assembly. Trailing streamer on pin was caught upon the ledge of landing gear well area. Although preflight was completed in the dark, I did use a flashlight for my preflight. I should have realized that something was amiss with the 'pin missing' and had maintenance check aircraft before departing gate area. Fluorescent streamers on pin assembly might make it more visible. Any discrepancy from now on will be written up and maintenance called to verify problem no matter how small it may seem. Have the other crew member verify problem before proceeding and take all the guesswork out of any problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT COMMUTER DEPARTS WITH L GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED AT RAMP APPROX XA00 AM LCL. I WENT TO PREFLT ACFT, GRABBED A FLASHLIGHT, PROCEEDED TO PREFLT ACFT. UPON REACHING L MAIN GEAR AREA, DID NOT NOTICE GEAR PIN IN LNDG GEAR ASSEMBLY, THOUGHT MAINT MIGHT HAVE PULLED PINS. CONTINUED PREFLT, FOUND PIN IN R MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY, CONTINUED AND COMPLETED PREFLT. WENT BACK TO L MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY, CLBED ON WHEEL ASSEMBLY. STILL DID NOT NOTICE ANY GEAR PIN. CHK STORAGE AREA IN AIRSTAIR DOOR. DID NOT FIND PIN. WENT BACK TO GEAR ASSEMBLY. STILL DID NOT SEE GEAR PIN. TOLD CAPT THAT I THOUGHT WE WERE MISSING A GEAR PIN. DECIDED TO CALL DISPATCH AND INFORM THEM. THEY SAID TO GO ON WITH THE FLT THAT THEY WOULD FIND ONE FOR US WHEN WE RETURNED. UPON TKOF L MAIN GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. RETURNED TO DTW WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT MET ACFT, FOUND PIN IN ASSEMBLY. TRAILING STREAMER ON PIN WAS CAUGHT UPON THE LEDGE OF LNDG GEAR WELL AREA. ALTHOUGH PREFLT WAS COMPLETED IN THE DARK, I DID USE A FLASHLIGHT FOR MY PREFLT. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WITH THE 'PIN MISSING' AND HAD MAINT CHK ACFT BEFORE DEPARTING GATE AREA. FLUORESCENT STREAMERS ON PIN ASSEMBLY MIGHT MAKE IT MORE VISIBLE. ANY DISCREPANCY FROM NOW ON WILL BE WRITTEN UP AND MAINT CALLED TO VERIFY PROB NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT MAY SEEM. HAVE THE OTHER CREW MEMBER VERIFY PROB BEFORE PROCEEDING AND TAKE ALL THE GUESSWORK OUT OF ANY PROB.

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.