Flight crew of medium large transport returned and landed due to the failure of the main landing gea...

Attributes
ACN	276110
Time
Date	199406
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	276110
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We took off from pit on flight for bna. After takeoff, the landing gear would not retract. Some gear doors opened as evidenced by 'gear door light' and wind noise, but the gear remained down. We tried to recycle the gear, with no change. We announced to departure control we would return to pit. While being vectored for return, we got out the flight manual and went through the abnormal procedures. We elected to have the emergency equipment stand by and to come to a complete stop on runway 28L in case we had an unsafe gear. After landing, maintenance installed the gear pins and were able to retract the gear doors. So we taxied back to a gate. Some minor sheet metal damage occurred on landing to the main gear doors because they were not up and locked at the time of landing. There are some possible factors that might have prevented this incident. We will know more when maintenance determines the cause of the gear problem. Their initial finding was the left spoiler bypass valve was in the bypass position. I'm not sure. This aircraft had just been released from maintenance. The #2 tire and brake assembly had been changed. Hydraulic fluid was added and the brake system bled.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG RETURNED AND LANDED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE MAIN LNDG GEAR TO RETRACT AND THE DOORS TO CLOSE.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM PIT ON FLT FOR BNA. AFTER TKOF, THE LNDG GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. SOME GEAR DOORS OPENED AS EVIDENCED BY 'GEAR DOOR LIGHT' AND WIND NOISE, BUT THE GEAR REMAINED DOWN. WE TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR, WITH NO CHANGE. WE ANNOUNCED TO DEP CTL WE WOULD RETURN TO PIT. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR RETURN, WE GOT OUT THE FLT MANUAL AND WENT THROUGH THE ABNORMAL PROCS. WE ELECTED TO HAVE THE EMER EQUIP STAND BY AND TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON RWY 28L IN CASE WE HAD AN UNSAFE GEAR. AFTER LNDG, MAINT INSTALLED THE GEAR PINS AND WERE ABLE TO RETRACT THE GEAR DOORS. SO WE TAXIED BACK TO A GATE. SOME MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE OCCURRED ON LNDG TO THE MAIN GEAR DOORS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT UP AND LOCKED AT THE TIME OF LNDG. THERE ARE SOME POSSIBLE FACTORS THAT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT. WE WILL KNOW MORE WHEN MAINT DETERMINES THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR PROB. THEIR INITIAL FINDING WAS THE L SPOILER BYPASS VALVE WAS IN THE BYPASS POS. I'M NOT SURE. THIS ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM MAINT. THE #2 TIRE AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN CHANGED. HYD FLUID WAS ADDED AND THE BRAKE SYS BLED.

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.

Flight crew of medium large transport returned and landed due to the failure of the main landing gear to retract and the doors to close.