A dash 8-100 was dispatched and flown with the nose gear pushback adapter installed.

Attributes
ACN	378282
Time
Date	199708
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	378282
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Company utilizes ramp pushback operation. Pushback operator left dhc-8 nosewheel adapter on aircraft. Aircraft departed ZZZ normally. All operations of landing gear (nose gear) appeared normal. No unusual noises or vibrations felt during retraction and extension of landing gear. Noticed adapter on nosewheel gear after arrival at destination. I proceeded to remove adapter, inspected the gear and wheel well area. Nothing abnormal noted. Since nothing abnormal was noted during previous operation and after landing, operated aircraft back to ZZZ without incident. Notified assistant chief pilot of incident, and possible recommendation to change procedure to prevent further occurrences. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the adapter is a small plate that locks into the nose gear axle to allow the aircraft to be winched onto an electric pushback cart platform which is raised about 6 inches and allows the aircraft to push and control the aircraft. The reporter said the manufacturer, dehavilland, engineered this adapter so as not to interfere or restrict the nose gear in any manner. The reporter states the pushback procedure has been fine tuned to have the cart operator hold up the adapter for verification by the flight crew that the pushback procedure is complete and adapter removed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DASH 8-100 WAS DISPATCHED AND FLOWN WITH THE NOSE GEAR PUSHBACK ADAPTER INSTALLED.

Narrative: COMPANY UTILIZES RAMP PUSHBACK OP. PUSHBACK OPERATOR LEFT DHC-8 NOSEWHEEL ADAPTER ON ACFT. ACFT DEPARTED ZZZ NORMALLY. ALL OPS OF LNDG GEAR (NOSE GEAR) APPEARED NORMAL. NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS FELT DURING RETRACTION AND EXTENSION OF LNDG GEAR. NOTICED ADAPTER ON NOSEWHEEL GEAR AFTER ARR AT DEST. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE ADAPTER, INSPECTED THE GEAR AND WHEEL WELL AREA. NOTHING ABNORMAL NOTED. SINCE NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTED DURING PREVIOUS OP AND AFTER LNDG, OPERATED ACFT BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOTIFIED ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT OF INCIDENT, AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE PROC TO PREVENT FURTHER OCCURRENCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ADAPTER IS A SMALL PLATE THAT LOCKS INTO THE NOSE GEAR AXLE TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO BE WINCHED ONTO AN ELECTRIC PUSHBACK CART PLATFORM WHICH IS RAISED ABOUT 6 INCHES AND ALLOWS THE ACFT TO PUSH AND CTL THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE MANUFACTURER, DEHAVILLAND, ENGINEERED THIS ADAPTER SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE OR RESTRICT THE NOSE GEAR IN ANY MANNER. THE RPTR STATES THE PUSHBACK PROC HAS BEEN FINE TUNED TO HAVE THE CART OPERATOR HOLD UP THE ADAPTER FOR VERIFICATION BY THE FLC THAT THE PUSHBACK PROC IS COMPLETE AND ADAPTER REMOVED.

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.