Narrative:

After takeoff, ECAM message nose gear door not locked. Followed procedures but indication remained. Continued flight and attempted to troubleshoot but there was nothing other than cycling the landing gear, but did manage to confirm nose gear door was open, so had to return and land. Advised dispatch and maintenance control and advised we would be 5000 pounds overweight when we got back to phx. Their only response was to note our vertical velocity at touchdown to facilitate their inspection. Nearing phx, again advised dispatch we would be overweight. Dispatch responded they would pass it on to maintenance. Touched down at 200-300 FPM -- no problems. The real concern now that I've thought through the problem is: 1) why land overweight without a real emergency. 2) if you do land overweight, declare an emergency just in case you do cause a problem such as gear collapse or you can't stop the aircraft on the runway. I feel that there is not enough emphasis on not landing overweight. Maintenance and dispatch made it sound routine and never suggested to burn off fuel to get down to maximum landing weight. Also, I didn't declare an emergency because I was only thinking of the nose gear door indication -- hardly critical. I wasn't thinking about putting myself into a critical situation by exceeding maximum certificated weight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF RETURNED TO THE FIELD AND MADE AN OVERWT LNDG DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOOR BEING UNLOCKED.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, ECAM MESSAGE NOSE GEAR DOOR NOT LOCKED. FOLLOWED PROCS BUT INDICATION REMAINED. CONTINUED FLT AND ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT BUT THERE WAS NOTHING OTHER THAN CYCLING THE LNDG GEAR, BUT DID MANAGE TO CONFIRM NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS OPEN, SO HAD TO RETURN AND LAND. ADVISED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND ADVISED WE WOULD BE 5000 LBS OVERWT WHEN WE GOT BACK TO PHX. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS TO NOTE OUR VERT VELOCITY AT TOUCHDOWN TO FACILITATE THEIR INSPECTION. NEARING PHX, AGAIN ADVISED DISPATCH WE WOULD BE OVERWT. DISPATCH RESPONDED THEY WOULD PASS IT ON TO MAINT. TOUCHED DOWN AT 200-300 FPM -- NO PROBS. THE REAL CONCERN NOW THAT I'VE THOUGHT THROUGH THE PROB IS: 1) WHY LAND OVERWT WITHOUT A REAL EMER. 2) IF YOU DO LAND OVERWT, DECLARE AN EMER JUST IN CASE YOU DO CAUSE A PROB SUCH AS GEAR COLLAPSE OR YOU CAN'T STOP THE ACFT ON THE RWY. I FEEL THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON NOT LNDG OVERWT. MAINT AND DISPATCH MADE IT SOUND ROUTINE AND NEVER SUGGESTED TO BURN OFF FUEL TO GET DOWN TO MAX LNDG WT. ALSO, I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE I WAS ONLY THINKING OF THE NOSE GEAR DOOR INDICATION -- HARDLY CRITICAL. I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT PUTTING MYSELF INTO A CRITICAL SIT BY EXCEEDING MAX CERTIFICATED WT.

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.