First officer of an light transport forgot to close the landing gear doors after preflight resulting...

Attributes
ACN	316489
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mke
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	316489
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

'Gear unsafe' light remained on after gear was selected up by captain/PNF. Recycled and attempted to retract gear, again unsuccessfully. Lowered gear and got 3 green down and locked indication. Advised ATC needed to return for landing. Performed aircraft 'gear not up and locked' checklist, plus normal descent and landing checklist. Landing was normal. Taxied to gate, deplaned passenger and contacted maintenance. The gear would not retract because the first officer left the gear doors open after preflting the aircraft. The air load on the door moved it enough to prevent gear retraction. No damage was detected by maintenance to either the door, tires, or gear. As captain I was responsible for catching the first officer's mistake. Contributing factors were the first officer's inexperience, the darkness at that hour of the morning and captain's failure to notice open gear doors. All subsequent action after gear wouldn't retract were in accordance with company policy and aircraft checklists, and no damage or injury occurred. No violation of FARS occurred. No emergency was declared, as all aircraft indications with the gear selected down were normal. No priority handling was requested or required. In the future, I will be much more cautious about trusting low- time first officer's with preflight duties, as the responsibility for preparing the aircraft correctly is ultimately mine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN LTT FORGOT TO CLOSE THE LNDG GEAR DOORS AFTER PREFLT RESULTING IN RETURN TO LAND WHEN THE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT.

Narrative: 'GEAR UNSAFE' LIGHT REMAINED ON AFTER GEAR WAS SELECTED UP BY CAPT/PNF. RECYCLED AND ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT GEAR, AGAIN UNSUCCESSFULLY. LOWERED GEAR AND GOT 3 GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. ADVISED ATC NEEDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. PERFORMED ACFT 'GEAR NOT UP AND LOCKED' CHKLIST, PLUS NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG CHKLIST. LNDG WAS NORMAL. TAXIED TO GATE, DEPLANED PAX AND CONTACTED MAINT. THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT BECAUSE THE FO LEFT THE GEAR DOORS OPEN AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT. THE AIR LOAD ON THE DOOR MOVED IT ENOUGH TO PREVENT GEAR RETRACTION. NO DAMAGE WAS DETECTED BY MAINT TO EITHER THE DOOR, TIRES, OR GEAR. AS CAPT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CATCHING THE FO'S MISTAKE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE FO'S INEXPERIENCE, THE DARKNESS AT THAT HR OF THE MORNING AND CAPT'S FAILURE TO NOTICE OPEN GEAR DOORS. ALL SUBSEQUENT ACTION AFTER GEAR WOULDN'T RETRACT WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY AND ACFT CHKLISTS, AND NO DAMAGE OR INJURY OCCURRED. NO VIOLATION OF FARS OCCURRED. NO EMER WAS DECLARED, AS ALL ACFT INDICATIONS WITH THE GEAR SELECTED DOWN WERE NORMAL. NO PRIORITY HANDLING WAS REQUESTED OR REQUIRED. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT TRUSTING LOW- TIME FO'S WITH PREFLT DUTIES, AS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREPARING THE ACFT CORRECTLY IS ULTIMATELY MINE.

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.

First officer of an light transport forgot to close the landing gear doors after preflight resulting in return to land when the gear failed to retract.