Narrative:

Aircraft dispatched from ZZZ on flight to YYY. Center gear pin lock was not removed and gear could not be retracted. Caused by improper turnover of maintenance work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter is a lead mechanic. At the beginning of his shift, he directed another mechanic to finish the 'open' paperwork. The crew that had worked on the aircraft 2 shifts earlier had written on the job card that the gear pins had been removed. The mechanic assigned to finish the 'open' paperwork completed all paperwork and performed a walkaround inspection, but failed to notice that the center gear pin on the DC10-30 aircraft had not been removed. The gear door was closed and the red streamer was not visible since it had been pulled inside when the door was closed. After the flight had departed for YYY, the flight crew was unable to retract the center gear. They coordinated with the dispatcher who made a quick calculation on fuel for the new airspeed limitation (gear extended). The added flight time only amounted to 40 mins so the flight crew chose to keep on going as opposed to dumping fuel and returning to land. Reporter comments that this is one of those 'never assume' items -- that the gear pin removal should have been physically verified. The majority of the fleet are DC10-10 which do not have the center gear, and reporter feels that this was a contributing factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-30 FLC WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE CTR GEAR AFTER TKOF. THEY CONTINUED TO THE DEST BY OBSERVING THE AIRSPD LIMITATIONS FOR GEAR EXTENDED. THE MECHS (RPTRS) CITED IMPROPER DOCUMENTATION FROM PREVIOUS SHIFT WHICH MISLED THE CREW TO BELIEVE THAT THE CTR GEAR PIN HAD BEEN REMOVED.

Narrative: ACFT DISPATCHED FROM ZZZ ON FLT TO YYY. CTR GEAR PIN LOCK WAS NOT REMOVED AND GEAR COULD NOT BE RETRACTED. CAUSED BY IMPROPER TURNOVER OF MAINT WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR IS A LEAD MECHANIC. AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS SHIFT, HE DIRECTED ANOTHER MECH TO FINISH THE 'OPEN' PAPERWORK. THE CREW THAT HAD WORKED ON THE ACFT 2 SHIFTS EARLIER HAD WRITTEN ON THE JOB CARD THAT THE GEAR PINS HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE MECH ASSIGNED TO FINISH THE 'OPEN' PAPERWORK COMPLETED ALL PAPERWORK AND PERFORMED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION, BUT FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE CTR GEAR PIN ON THE DC10-30 ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. THE GEAR DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THE RED STREAMER WAS NOT VISIBLE SINCE IT HAD BEEN PULLED INSIDE WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. AFTER THE FLT HAD DEPARTED FOR YYY, THE FLC WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE CTR GEAR. THEY COORDINATED WITH THE DISPATCHER WHO MADE A QUICK CALCULATION ON FUEL FOR THE NEW AIRSPD LIMITATION (GEAR EXTENDED). THE ADDED FLT TIME ONLY AMOUNTED TO 40 MINS SO THE FLC CHOSE TO KEEP ON GOING AS OPPOSED TO DUMPING FUEL AND RETURNING TO LAND. RPTR COMMENTS THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE 'NEVER ASSUME' ITEMS -- THAT THE GEAR PIN REMOVAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY VERIFIED. THE MAJORITY OF THE FLEET ARE DC10-10 WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE CTR GEAR, AND RPTR FEELS THAT THIS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.