Narrative:

On jul/mon/93 at approximately XX50, I was called to over my radio that (flight number) who just took off, was returning with nose gear problems. As I watched the plane land and taxi to the gate, I didn't notice anything unusual. At this point, I boarded the plane with passenger still on , to ask the pilot for information on the problem. The pilot said that upon takeoff, he could not get the nose gear to retract. So I then went out to inspect the nose gear and found that the nose gear ground lock handle was engaged. Knowing that this was the problem I rushed back to the cockpit (after stowing handle) and informed the pilot of the situation. The pilot made a comment that this was twice in about a month. In trying to help the pilot from getting into trouble, I gave the pilot the option of calling it like it is or inspection and lube and releasing aircraft for test flight. So the pilot/first officer and myself agreed to me signing off inspection, lubed, cycled nose gear ground lock, and released (aircraft) for test flight. After removing passenger quickly from the plane to quicken our time, the crew and I took it up for once around the field, swinging the gear twice with no problems indicated. So, upon landing I exited the plane immediately so as they could board the plane. But, what I forgot to do in my haste was to sign off the airworthiness release of the aircraft, and as I found out later, no pilot noticed it until the following morning, which, as per our mp and P manual they are supposed to do every flight. There are several problems here: from now on, no matter how much of a delay I take, I must ensure paperwork is completed fully and not to rush! The nose gear ground lock on the mdt, even though they're painted yellow and black (which is a dull yellow and black), is sometimes hard to see in pre-dawn or post- dawn hours. I've suggested red flags or a light in cockpit. I've even made the flags up for our fleet, but as I write this I know that not all the aircraft have them. The maintenance mechanic's on ron's just do not care enough to ensure they're on, or that the old one's, which are nasty and torn, are properly replaced. Being that this is fourth pilot to have this happen to him in the last 2 yrs while I was working, maybe there's a problem with their preflight checks. I know I won't cover for them anymore. Supplemental information from acn 245674: upon return to aircraft, I found first officer on board aircraft, APU running and mechanic gone. I asked first officer if he 'completed' walkaround, and he answered in the affirmative. I had seen him initiate the walkaround with checklist in hand when I left aircraft to go get the mechanic and paperwork. We then completed the cockpit originating checklist, boarded up passenger, were given the all's normal signal from ramp marshaller (mainline employee) and saluted off on schedule. Upon landing, mechanic found nose gear manually locked down. There are no flags on the manual nose gear lock handle. The passenger were deplaned, the lock was released, and the aircraft was released for a test flight. The test flight was accomplished with satisfactory gear operation. Passenger were re- boarded and flight resumed 55 mins late. After further discussion with first officer, who couldn't believe this had happened, he commented that he had never seen maintenance leave the lock down (engaged), as it apparently was this morning. In reviewing events he said, just as he was at the right front side of aircraft (the manual lock is low on the left side), the mechanic had called to him to go try to start the APU. He broke his walkaround and went to the cockpit to start the APU, which started. When he resumed his exterior preflight, he did not go back to the nose of the aircraft -- he resumed at the left wing leading edge, missing the manual lock being engaged. From now on, this 15 yr captain will also do an originating preflight exterior walkaround to back up the first officer. Additionally, aircraft flew in revenue service without being released by maintenance on logbook after satisfactory test flight with mechanic onboard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT ACR ACFT MISSED UNLOCKING THE NOSE GEAR DURING PREFLT RESULTING IN A RETURN TO LAND AFTER THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. ALSO, THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OPERATED WHEN THE ACFT LOG DID NOT SHOW A 'RELEASE TO SVC.'

Narrative: ON JUL/MON/93 AT APPROX XX50, I WAS CALLED TO OVER MY RADIO THAT (FLT NUMBER) WHO JUST TOOK OFF, WAS RETURNING WITH NOSE GEAR PROBS. AS I WATCHED THE PLANE LAND AND TAXI TO THE GATE, I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. AT THIS POINT, I BOARDED THE PLANE WITH PAX STILL ON , TO ASK THE PLT FOR INFO ON THE PROB. THE PLT SAID THAT UPON TKOF, HE COULD NOT GET THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT. SO I THEN WENT OUT TO INSPECT THE NOSE GEAR AND FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR GND LOCK HANDLE WAS ENGAGED. KNOWING THAT THIS WAS THE PROB I RUSHED BACK TO THE COCKPIT (AFTER STOWING HANDLE) AND INFORMED THE PLT OF THE SIT. THE PLT MADE A COMMENT THAT THIS WAS TWICE IN ABOUT A MONTH. IN TRYING TO HELP THE PLT FROM GETTING INTO TROUBLE, I GAVE THE PLT THE OPTION OF CALLING IT LIKE IT IS OR INSPECTION AND LUBE AND RELEASING ACFT FOR TEST FLT. SO THE PLT/FO AND MYSELF AGREED TO ME SIGNING OFF INSPECTION, LUBED, CYCLED NOSE GEAR GND LOCK, AND RELEASED (ACFT) FOR TEST FLT. AFTER REMOVING PAX QUICKLY FROM THE PLANE TO QUICKEN OUR TIME, THE CREW AND I TOOK IT UP FOR ONCE AROUND THE FIELD, SWINGING THE GEAR TWICE WITH NO PROBS INDICATED. SO, UPON LNDG I EXITED THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY SO AS THEY COULD BOARD THE PLANE. BUT, WHAT I FORGOT TO DO IN MY HASTE WAS TO SIGN OFF THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE OF THE ACFT, AND AS I FOUND OUT LATER, NO PLT NOTICED IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING, WHICH, AS PER OUR MP AND P MANUAL THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO EVERY FLT. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBS HERE: FROM NOW ON, NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A DELAY I TAKE, I MUST ENSURE PAPERWORK IS COMPLETED FULLY AND NOT TO RUSH! THE NOSE GEAR GND LOCK ON THE MDT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE PAINTED YELLOW AND BLACK (WHICH IS A DULL YELLOW AND BLACK), IS SOMETIMES HARD TO SEE IN PRE-DAWN OR POST- DAWN HRS. I'VE SUGGESTED RED FLAGS OR A LIGHT IN COCKPIT. I'VE EVEN MADE THE FLAGS UP FOR OUR FLEET, BUT AS I WRITE THIS I KNOW THAT NOT ALL THE ACFT HAVE THEM. THE MAINT MECH'S ON RON'S JUST DO NOT CARE ENOUGH TO ENSURE THEY'RE ON, OR THAT THE OLD ONE'S, WHICH ARE NASTY AND TORN, ARE PROPERLY REPLACED. BEING THAT THIS IS FOURTH PLT TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO HIM IN THE LAST 2 YRS WHILE I WAS WORKING, MAYBE THERE'S A PROB WITH THEIR PREFLT CHKS. I KNOW I WON'T COVER FOR THEM ANYMORE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 245674: UPON RETURN TO ACFT, I FOUND FO ON BOARD ACFT, APU RUNNING AND MECH GONE. I ASKED FO IF HE 'COMPLETED' WALKAROUND, AND HE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. I HAD SEEN HIM INITIATE THE WALKAROUND WITH CHKLIST IN HAND WHEN I LEFT ACFT TO GO GET THE MECH AND PAPERWORK. WE THEN COMPLETED THE COCKPIT ORIGINATING CHKLIST, BOARDED UP PAX, WERE GIVEN THE ALL'S NORMAL SIGNAL FROM RAMP MARSHALLER (MAINLINE EMPLOYEE) AND SALUTED OFF ON SCHEDULE. UPON LNDG, MECH FOUND NOSE GEAR MANUALLY LOCKED DOWN. THERE ARE NO FLAGS ON THE MANUAL NOSE GEAR LOCK HANDLE. THE PAX WERE DEPLANED, THE LOCK WAS RELEASED, AND THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR A TEST FLT. THE TEST FLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH SATISFACTORY GEAR OP. PAX WERE RE- BOARDED AND FLT RESUMED 55 MINS LATE. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH FO, WHO COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS HAD HAPPENED, HE COMMENTED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN MAINT LEAVE THE LOCK DOWN (ENGAGED), AS IT APPARENTLY WAS THIS MORNING. IN REVIEWING EVENTS HE SAID, JUST AS HE WAS AT THE R FRONT SIDE OF ACFT (THE MANUAL LOCK IS LOW ON THE L SIDE), THE MECH HAD CALLED TO HIM TO GO TRY TO START THE APU. HE BROKE HIS WALKAROUND AND WENT TO THE COCKPIT TO START THE APU, WHICH STARTED. WHEN HE RESUMED HIS EXTERIOR PREFLT, HE DID NOT GO BACK TO THE NOSE OF THE ACFT -- HE RESUMED AT THE L WING LEADING EDGE, MISSING THE MANUAL LOCK BEING ENGAGED. FROM NOW ON, THIS 15 YR CAPT WILL ALSO DO AN ORIGINATING PREFLT EXTERIOR WALKAROUND TO BACK UP THE FO. ADDITIONALLY, ACFT FLEW IN REVENUE SVC WITHOUT BEING RELEASED BY MAINT ON LOGBOOK AFTER SATISFACTORY TEST FLT WITH MECH ONBOARD.

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.