Air carrier large transport aircraft nosewheel strut in the down position after takeoff resulting in...

Attributes
ACN	235380
Time
Date	199303
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	235380
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On large transport aircraft flight of air carrier airlines, experienced an air return due to the nose landing gear not being able to retract after takeoff. Upon return to its station of origination, mia, it was determined that the cause was a nose landing gear down lock pin which was left in place by myself during the previous overnight stay (as I installed it as a safety precaution to avoid inadvertent retraction while I performed a full service on the nose landing gear strut). I believe that a factor which contributed to myself and the flight crew's so missing the pin being installed was the inability to see the red warning flag which I wrapped around the pin itself in order to keep it in place. Normally, a lanyard clip is part of the pin and it is used to keep the pin in place. This lanyard clip assembly was missing on the particular pin which led me to use the red flag to keep pin in place. Although there was a degree of neglect on my and the so's parts, I believe that a properly equipped pin would have kept the flag in both of our views.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ACFT NOSEWHEEL STRUT IN THE DOWN POS AFTER TKOF RESULTING IN THE FLC RETURNING TO LAND.

Narrative: ON LGT ACFT FLT OF ACR AIRLINES, EXPERIENCED AN AIR RETURN DUE TO THE NOSE LNDG GEAR NOT BEING ABLE TO RETRACT AFTER TKOF. UPON RETURN TO ITS STATION OF ORIGINATION, MIA, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE WAS A NOSE LNDG GEAR DOWN LOCK PIN WHICH WAS LEFT IN PLACE BY MYSELF DURING THE PREVIOUS OVERNIGHT STAY (AS I INSTALLED IT AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION TO AVOID INADVERTENT RETRACTION WHILE I PERFORMED A FULL SVC ON THE NOSE LNDG GEAR STRUT). I BELIEVE THAT A FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MYSELF AND THE FLC'S SO MISSING THE PIN BEING INSTALLED WAS THE INABILITY TO SEE THE RED WARNING FLAG WHICH I WRAPPED AROUND THE PIN ITSELF IN ORDER TO KEEP IT IN PLACE. NORMALLY, A LANYARD CLIP IS PART OF THE PIN AND IT IS USED TO KEEP THE PIN IN PLACE. THIS LANYARD CLIP ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING ON THE PARTICULAR PIN WHICH LED ME TO USE THE RED FLAG TO KEEP PIN IN PLACE. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A DEG OF NEGLECT ON MY AND THE SO'S PARTS, I BELIEVE THAT A PROPERLY EQUIPPED PIN WOULD HAVE KEPT THE FLAG IN BOTH OF OUR VIEWS.

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.

Air carrier large transport aircraft nosewheel strut in the down position after takeoff resulting in the flight crew returning to land.