Narrative:

On climb out, nose gear did not retract, although main gear did retract. The WX was below landing minimums and we decided to proceed to iad rather than our takeoff alternate of ric. Our weight at the time was 188000 pounds, 34000 pounds over landing weight. I elected to fly at flaps 5 degrees, 190 KTS because of the landing gear door limit speed of 200 KTS. We proceeded to martinsburg VOR and requested to hold till we were at landing weight, 154500 pounds. VFR conditions at iad. We landed normally. The company called mechanics from another airline. The mechanics found a 3 cell magnetic flashlight lodged in the nose landing gear strut. The flashlight would not allow the nose gear to retract, the mechanics swung the gear. The mechanics were not familiar with our logbook and write-off procedure. I then put the flight engineer with the mechanics to explain our procedures. The flight engineer assured me that all the write- offs were done. We were then rushed out of iad with passenger going to iah. I found out 3 days later from the chief pilot's office that the write-offs were not in the logbook. It seems the mechanics filled out their company paperwork, but not our logbook. In all the confusion, I relied on the flight engineer to handle the logbook tasks. I thought we did a wonderful job with the emergency, but the logbook slipped between the cracks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 CAPT RPTS THAT HIS SO FAILED TO FIND A FLASHLIGHT JAMMING HIS NOSE GEAR IN THE DOWN POS DURING HIS PREFLT INSPECTION. THEN THE 2 OF THEM FAILED TO GET A PROPER LOGBOOK ENTRY AFTER A DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT, NOSE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT, ALTHOUGH MAIN GEAR DID RETRACT. THE WX WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS AND WE DECIDED TO PROCEED TO IAD RATHER THAN OUR TKOF ALTERNATE OF RIC. OUR WT AT THE TIME WAS 188000 LBS, 34000 LBS OVER LNDG WT. I ELECTED TO FLY AT FLAPS 5 DEGS, 190 KTS BECAUSE OF THE LNDG GEAR DOOR LIMIT SPD OF 200 KTS. WE PROCEEDED TO MARTINSBURG VOR AND REQUESTED TO HOLD TILL WE WERE AT LNDG WT, 154500 LBS. VFR CONDITIONS AT IAD. WE LANDED NORMALLY. THE COMPANY CALLED MECHS FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE. THE MECHS FOUND A 3 CELL MAGNETIC FLASHLIGHT LODGED IN THE NOSE LNDG GEAR STRUT. THE FLASHLIGHT WOULD NOT ALLOW THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT, THE MECHS SWUNG THE GEAR. THE MECHS WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR LOGBOOK AND WRITE-OFF PROC. I THEN PUT THE FE WITH THE MECHS TO EXPLAIN OUR PROCS. THE FE ASSURED ME THAT ALL THE WRITE- OFFS WERE DONE. WE WERE THEN RUSHED OUT OF IAD WITH PAX GOING TO IAH. I FOUND OUT 3 DAYS LATER FROM THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE THAT THE WRITE-OFFS WERE NOT IN THE LOGBOOK. IT SEEMS THE MECHS FILLED OUT THEIR COMPANY PAPERWORK, BUT NOT OUR LOGBOOK. IN ALL THE CONFUSION, I RELIED ON THE FE TO HANDLE THE LOGBOOK TASKS. I THOUGHT WE DID A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THE EMER, BUT THE LOGBOOK SLIPPED BTWN THE CRACKS.

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.