Narrative:

Upon departure from cos, the left main gear failed to retract and the gear door light remained on. Our procedures are somewhat complicated, but they call for a gear extension and if all is normal and, with no history of previous trouble or reason to suspect damage, a gear retraction. This was completed and, in accordance with the checklist we pressed on the dfw. Our human factors classes teach us to identify the problem, research it, solve it, then to review the situation. This we did and I was still troubled by the initial failure of the gear to fully retract. I have about 8 yrs on the DC9/MD88 and had seen this problem in the winter months only, where snow and ice contamination on electrical contacts is a problem, and I'd never seen a door open light accompany the failure of a gear to retract. We discussed it further and felt the situation may have been a tire failure. With this in mind we asked our dispatcher to contact cos tower for a foreign object damage check of the runway, and we asked our flight attendants for their input. They reported they heard a grinding noise on rotation. With that report, coupled with the initial gear retraction failure and a heavy weight, high altitude takeoff the tire failure became a more likely scenario. The foreign object damage from cos was negative but I felt it necessary to take the proper precautions. I briefed the senior flight attendant on the situation. I would advise the passenger, and that she should secure the cabin and brief this as a brace position and possible ground evacuate/evacuation. The first officer declared an emergency with ZFW and subsequently reviewed it with approach and tower. Later I briefed the fire chief on tower frequency. We ourselves reviewed the appropriate checklists. Gear extension was normal with the doors closed and locked. I put the passenger in a brace position about 2 mi outside the marker. We made a landing on the right side of the runway and it was normal in all respects. After we stopped, the fire chief inspected the gear and all looked normal so we taxied to the gate. The mechanics initially found an indicator for the gear doors had come loose, probably over time -- initially and as I write this report they have no reason why the gear initially failed to retract.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ABNORMAL INDICATIONS DURING GEAR RETRACTION PROMPT THE FLT TO DECLARE AN EMER. MD88.

Narrative: UPON DEP FROM COS, THE L MAIN GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT AND THE GEAR DOOR LIGHT REMAINED ON. OUR PROCS ARE SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED, BUT THEY CALL FOR A GEAR EXTENSION AND IF ALL IS NORMAL AND, WITH NO HISTORY OF PREVIOUS TROUBLE OR REASON TO SUSPECT DAMAGE, A GEAR RETRACTION. THIS WAS COMPLETED AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHKLIST WE PRESSED ON THE DFW. OUR HUMAN FACTORS CLASSES TEACH US TO IDENT THE PROB, RESEARCH IT, SOLVE IT, THEN TO REVIEW THE SIT. THIS WE DID AND I WAS STILL TROUBLED BY THE INITIAL FAILURE OF THE GEAR TO FULLY RETRACT. I HAVE ABOUT 8 YRS ON THE DC9/MD88 AND HAD SEEN THIS PROB IN THE WINTER MONTHS ONLY, WHERE SNOW AND ICE CONTAMINATION ON ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IS A PROB, AND I'D NEVER SEEN A DOOR OPEN LIGHT ACCOMPANY THE FAILURE OF A GEAR TO RETRACT. WE DISCUSSED IT FURTHER AND FELT THE SIT MAY HAVE BEEN A TIRE FAILURE. WITH THIS IN MIND WE ASKED OUR DISPATCHER TO CONTACT COS TWR FOR A FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE CHK OF THE RWY, AND WE ASKED OUR FLT ATTENDANTS FOR THEIR INPUT. THEY RPTED THEY HEARD A GRINDING NOISE ON ROTATION. WITH THAT RPT, COUPLED WITH THE INITIAL GEAR RETRACTION FAILURE AND A HVY WT, HIGH ALT TKOF THE TIRE FAILURE BECAME A MORE LIKELY SCENARIO. THE FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE FROM COS WAS NEGATIVE BUT I FELT IT NECESSARY TO TAKE THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS. I BRIEFED THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT ON THE SIT. I WOULD ADVISE THE PAX, AND THAT SHE SHOULD SECURE THE CABIN AND BRIEF THIS AS A BRACE POS AND POSSIBLE GND EVAC. THE FO DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZFW AND SUBSEQUENTLY REVIEWED IT WITH APCH AND TWR. LATER I BRIEFED THE FIRE CHIEF ON TWR FREQ. WE OURSELVES REVIEWED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. GEAR EXTENSION WAS NORMAL WITH THE DOORS CLOSED AND LOCKED. I PUT THE PAX IN A BRACE POS ABOUT 2 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER. WE MADE A LNDG ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY AND IT WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS. AFTER WE STOPPED, THE FIRE CHIEF INSPECTED THE GEAR AND ALL LOOKED NORMAL SO WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE MECHS INITIALLY FOUND AN INDICATOR FOR THE GEAR DOORS HAD COME LOOSE, PROBABLY OVER TIME -- INITIALLY AND AS I WRITE THIS RPT THEY HAVE NO REASON WHY THE GEAR INITIALLY FAILED TO RETRACT.

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.