Narrative:

About 30 mins before flight time I returned to the aircraft and did a complete preflight walkaround. While the captain and I worked in the cockpit, the lavatory and fuel trucks began to service the aircraft. While servicing the lavatory, the hose, which was not properly attached to the aircraft, came loose. Gallons of waste poured out onto the ramp. When the fueler was done I went outside the aircraft to verify the fuel and lavatory doors were shut per company procedure. The spilled waste had begun to spread under the aircraft near the boarding stairs. Captain decided that it was not acceptable conditions for boarding passenger and notified operations. Operations informed us that they were working on the problem. While waiting for an answer, we completed all remaining checklist items. The flight crew was strapped in waiting for a decision when a towing crew showed up, hooked onto the nose gear and pushed the aircraft back about 10 yards. At no time during the process did any ramp agent come on board to inform the crew of their intentions. They also did not, per company procedures, install the main gear ground lock pins as they were always in their cockpit storage pouch. Immediately upon unhooking the tug, the passenger began to board. A normal engine start, taxi and takeoff followed. When the gear was selected up, the main gear retracted but the nose gear did not. The ground crew had pulled the nose gear ground lock and did not tell us. We returned for a normal landing and at the gate, mechanics stowed the ground lock and we proceeded to our destination without any further problems

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT ACR ACFT RETURNED TO LAND AFTER THE NOSEWHEEL WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER TKOF DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR SCISSOR PIN NOT REINSTALLED AFTER PUSHBACK.

Narrative: ABOUT 30 MINS BEFORE FLT TIME I RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND DID A COMPLETE PREFLT WALKAROUND. WHILE THE CAPT AND I WORKED IN THE COCKPIT, THE LAVATORY AND FUEL TRUCKS BEGAN TO SVC THE ACFT. WHILE SVCING THE LAVATORY, THE HOSE, WHICH WAS NOT PROPERLY ATTACHED TO THE ACFT, CAME LOOSE. GALLONS OF WASTE POURED OUT ONTO THE RAMP. WHEN THE FUELER WAS DONE I WENT OUTSIDE THE ACFT TO VERIFY THE FUEL AND LAVATORY DOORS WERE SHUT PER COMPANY PROC. THE SPILLED WASTE HAD BEGUN TO SPREAD UNDER THE ACFT NEAR THE BOARDING STAIRS. CAPT DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS FOR BOARDING PAX AND NOTIFIED OPS. OPS INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON THE PROB. WHILE WAITING FOR AN ANSWER, WE COMPLETED ALL REMAINING CHKLIST ITEMS. THE FLC WAS STRAPPED IN WAITING FOR A DECISION WHEN A TOWING CREW SHOWED UP, HOOKED ONTO THE NOSE GEAR AND PUSHED THE ACFT BACK ABOUT 10 YARDS. AT NO TIME DURING THE PROCESS DID ANY RAMP AGENT COME ON BOARD TO INFORM THE CREW OF THEIR INTENTIONS. THEY ALSO DID NOT, PER COMPANY PROCS, INSTALL THE MAIN GEAR GND LOCK PINS AS THEY WERE ALWAYS IN THEIR COCKPIT STORAGE POUCH. IMMEDIATELY UPON UNHOOKING THE TUG, THE PAX BEGAN TO BOARD. A NORMAL ENG START, TAXI AND TKOF FOLLOWED. WHEN THE GEAR WAS SELECTED UP, THE MAIN GEAR RETRACTED BUT THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT. THE GND CREW HAD PULLED THE NOSE GEAR GND LOCK AND DID NOT TELL US. WE RETURNED FOR A NORMAL LNDG AND AT THE GATE, MECHS STOWED THE GND LOCK AND WE PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS

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.