Air taxi operation on takeoff discovered gear would not retract.

Attributes
ACN	257904
Time
Date	199311
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : teb
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	257904
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft involved was on an far 135 flight carrying passenger to iah. I was the PIC and was to be the PNF on this leg. Aircraft had been parked outside for 4 nights. I asked the first officer twice if he pulled the gear pins and he responded that he had. The first item on the before start checklist is 'gear pins' and he (the first officer) responded that they had been pulled. On takeoff the nose gear failed to retract. He (the first officer) then stated that he had not seen the 'flag' hanging out of the nose wheel well and assumed that the nose gear pin had been pulled by someone else. I told new york TRACON that we needed to return to teb, no aircraft problem, and to keep our flight plan open. We landed, pulled the pin (the wind had evidently earlier blown the flag into the back of the wheel well where it was not visible), notified company dispatch of the extra leg, and took off again. If the PIC screws up, it's his fault, if the first officer screws up, it's the PIC's fault, too. The only way to protect yourself is for both pilots to do the preflight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI OP ON TKOF DISCOVERED GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.

Narrative: ACFT INVOLVED WAS ON AN FAR 135 FLT CARRYING PAX TO IAH. I WAS THE PIC AND WAS TO BE THE PNF ON THIS LEG. ACFT HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE FOR 4 NIGHTS. I ASKED THE FO TWICE IF HE PULLED THE GEAR PINS AND HE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE BEFORE START CHKLIST IS 'GEAR PINS' AND HE (THE FO) RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD BEEN PULLED. ON TKOF THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. HE (THE FO) THEN STATED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN THE 'FLAG' HANGING OUT OF THE NOSE WHEEL WELL AND ASSUMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR PIN HAD BEEN PULLED BY SOMEONE ELSE. I TOLD NEW YORK TRACON THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO TEB, NO ACFT PROB, AND TO KEEP OUR FLT PLAN OPEN. WE LANDED, PULLED THE PIN (THE WIND HAD EVIDENTLY EARLIER BLOWN THE FLAG INTO THE BACK OF THE WHEEL WELL WHERE IT WAS NOT VISIBLE), NOTIFIED COMPANY DISPATCH OF THE EXTRA LEG, AND TOOK OFF AGAIN. IF THE PIC SCREWS UP, IT'S HIS FAULT, IF THE FO SCREWS UP, IT'S THE PIC'S FAULT, TOO. THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS FOR BOTH PLTS TO DO THE PREFLT.

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.