Narrative:

After a normal departure, an unfamiliar sound was noted with gear retraction. Gear disagree and gear doors EICAS messages appeared along with aural and visual warnings. The normal departure procedure was followed until coordination with ATC took place which was to level off at 9000 ft MSL for vectors while we determined the cause of the problem. Company maintenance was notified and the gear was cycled to see if that took care of the problem. When the gear handle was in the down position, everything was normal. Upon retraction, the problem reoccurred. The decision was made to burn off fuel until an acceptable approach speed could be obtained and an overweight landing took place on runway 26R about an hour after departure. It was determined that the nosewheel gear pin was still in place and that had caused the difficulty. The aircraft had come to the gate from maintenance where the gear pins (all 3) had been installed, then removed and stowed, according to the logbook entries. Obviously, the one in the nose gear had not been removed and secured properly and it was overlooked by my first officer as he did a visual predep walkaround. The nose gear pin on the B757 is somewhat difficult to see, and a longer, brighter gear pin flag that would extend out the wheelwell area would likely have prevented this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 RETURNED TO THE FIELD SHORTLY AFTER TKOF DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. FOUND NOSE GEAR PINNED IN DOWN AND LOCK POS.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL DEP, AN UNFAMILIAR SOUND WAS NOTED WITH GEAR RETRACTION. GEAR DISAGREE AND GEAR DOORS EICAS MESSAGES APPEARED ALONG WITH AURAL AND VISUAL WARNINGS. THE NORMAL DEP PROC WAS FOLLOWED UNTIL COORD WITH ATC TOOK PLACE WHICH WAS TO LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT MSL FOR VECTORS WHILE WE DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROB. COMPANY MAINT WAS NOTIFIED AND THE GEAR WAS CYCLED TO SEE IF THAT TOOK CARE OF THE PROB. WHEN THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POS, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. UPON RETRACTION, THE PROB REOCCURRED. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO BURN OFF FUEL UNTIL AN ACCEPTABLE APCH SPD COULD BE OBTAINED AND AN OVERWT LNDG TOOK PLACE ON RWY 26R ABOUT AN HR AFTER DEP. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR PIN WAS STILL IN PLACE AND THAT HAD CAUSED THE DIFFICULTY. THE ACFT HAD COME TO THE GATE FROM MAINT WHERE THE GEAR PINS (ALL 3) HAD BEEN INSTALLED, THEN REMOVED AND STOWED, ACCORDING TO THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES. OBVIOUSLY, THE ONE IN THE NOSE GEAR HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED AND SECURED PROPERLY AND IT WAS OVERLOOKED BY MY FO AS HE DID A VISUAL PREDEP WALKAROUND. THE NOSE GEAR PIN ON THE B757 IS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO SEE, AND A LONGER, BRIGHTER GEAR PIN FLAG THAT WOULD EXTEND OUT THE WHEELWELL AREA WOULD LIKELY HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT.

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.