Narrative:

The aircraft was in maintenance all night. We received the aircraft that morning from the hangar. I thoroughly preflted the aircraft and we departed the gate. We attempted to retract the landing gear but the mains would not come up because the radius rods were left on the gear rods. We returned to sux safely and removed the radius rods. Even though I did a thorough preflight the radius rods were missed for 2 reasons. First, there are no flags on the rods, nor are they painted bright red. Second, nowhere on the preflight checklist does it discuss or say to remove or check if radius rods are installed. I feel if these things were corrected, this would not have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT DOWN LOCK RODS LEFT IN PLACE AFTER SCHEDULED MAINT ACTIVITY. FO MISSED THEM IN FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT PROC.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS IN MAINT ALL NIGHT. WE RECEIVED THE ACFT THAT MORNING FROM THE HANGAR. I THOROUGHLY PREFLTED THE ACFT AND WE DEPARTED THE GATE. WE ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE LNDG GEAR BUT THE MAINS WOULD NOT COME UP BECAUSE THE RADIUS RODS WERE LEFT ON THE GEAR RODS. WE RETURNED TO SUX SAFELY AND REMOVED THE RADIUS RODS. EVEN THOUGH I DID A THOROUGH PREFLT THE RADIUS RODS WERE MISSED FOR 2 REASONS. FIRST, THERE ARE NO FLAGS ON THE RODS, NOR ARE THEY PAINTED BRIGHT RED. SECOND, NOWHERE ON THE PREFLT CHKLIST DOES IT DISCUSS OR SAY TO REMOVE OR CHK IF RADIUS RODS ARE INSTALLED. I FEEL IF THESE THINGS WERE CORRECTED, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.