Narrative:

After takeoff dca, landing gear nosewheel would not retract. Returned to dca for uneventful landing. Nosewheel down-lock was not retracted during preflight by me, first officer. During preflight I had gear pins and propeller covers in one hand and flashlight and checklist in the other hand, it was still dark at XX30 am. As I approached the nosewheel, I noticed the chocks were not in. I put everything in my right hand and put the chocks in with my left hand. I was on the right side of the nosewheel when I inspected the tires, fluid leaks, oleo strut and gear door clear-way, weight switch, ok. The landing light assembly blocked my view of the down-lock protruding. As I stood up and walked around the nose to inspect the pitot static ports, I switched the checklist and flashlight back to my other hand. As I did this I dropped the gear pin. As I reached down for the gear pin, I was also looking up to see if any buses were coming since I was walking into their clear-way. I stumbled and fell toward the plane, brushing up against the side of the nose blocking my view of the down-lock. Distracted, I continued toward the wing and the #2 engine. Normally I look back to double-check nose gear down-lock but I got distracted pulling the propeller covers off #2 and #1 engines as I juggled the gear pins and propeller covers, flashlight and checklist. I removed the gear pin and boarded. I was distracted from the checklist and preflight duties, by misplaced chocks, hands full, bus path clear-way, dropping gear pin, clumsiness and darkness. I learned a great deal about the snowball effect. In the future I will pull all gear pins, propeller covers and stow down-lock, put them in the airplane. Then I will do a thorough preflight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT RETURN TO LAND SINCE THE NOSEWHEEL WOULD NOT RETRACT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF DCA, LNDG GEAR NOSEWHEEL WOULD NOT RETRACT. RETURNED TO DCA FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. NOSEWHEEL DOWN-LOCK WAS NOT RETRACTED DURING PREFLT BY ME, FO. DURING PREFLT I HAD GEAR PINS AND PROP COVERS IN ONE HAND AND FLASHLIGHT AND CHKLIST IN THE OTHER HAND, IT WAS STILL DARK AT XX30 AM. AS I APCHED THE NOSEWHEEL, I NOTICED THE CHOCKS WERE NOT IN. I PUT EVERYTHING IN MY R HAND AND PUT THE CHOCKS IN WITH MY L HAND. I WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE NOSEWHEEL WHEN I INSPECTED THE TIRES, FLUID LEAKS, OLEO STRUT AND GEAR DOOR CLEAR-WAY, WT SWITCH, OK. THE LNDG LIGHT ASSEMBLY BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE DOWN-LOCK PROTRUDING. AS I STOOD UP AND WALKED AROUND THE NOSE TO INSPECT THE PITOT STATIC PORTS, I SWITCHED THE CHKLIST AND FLASHLIGHT BACK TO MY OTHER HAND. AS I DID THIS I DROPPED THE GEAR PIN. AS I REACHED DOWN FOR THE GEAR PIN, I WAS ALSO LOOKING UP TO SEE IF ANY BUSES WERE COMING SINCE I WAS WALKING INTO THEIR CLEAR-WAY. I STUMBLED AND FELL TOWARD THE PLANE, BRUSHING UP AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE NOSE BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE DOWN-LOCK. DISTRACTED, I CONTINUED TOWARD THE WING AND THE #2 ENG. NORMALLY I LOOK BACK TO DOUBLE-CHK NOSE GEAR DOWN-LOCK BUT I GOT DISTRACTED PULLING THE PROP COVERS OFF #2 AND #1 ENGS AS I JUGGLED THE GEAR PINS AND PROP COVERS, FLASHLIGHT AND CHKLIST. I REMOVED THE GEAR PIN AND BOARDED. I WAS DISTRACTED FROM THE CHKLIST AND PREFLT DUTIES, BY MISPLACED CHOCKS, HANDS FULL, BUS PATH CLEAR-WAY, DROPPING GEAR PIN, CLUMSINESS AND DARKNESS. I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE SNOWBALL EFFECT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PULL ALL GEAR PINS, PROP COVERS AND STOW DOWN-LOCK, PUT THEM IN THE AIRPLANE. THEN I WILL DO A THOROUGH 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.