Narrative:

Deadhead flight arrived msp just about departure time for my outbound flight to lax, so I hurried to gate where I found passenger already loaded and crew waiting. First officer briefed me on status of aircraft, saying there were no write-ups. Maintenance was just wrapping up servicing nose gear strut and ramp personnel doing some last min bags. I checked logbooks, looked over release and WX and signed release so that gate agent could close the cabin door. During my preflight checks, a mechanic called up from tug to have us turn off yellow and blue electric hydraulic pumps, which he had turned on for some reason before my arrival. We turned them off as directed and I finished my 'flows' and called for the preflight checklist. By the time we were all closed up and pushing back, we were about 1 hour late. (Schedule was XA50 local, we pushed at XB51.) pushback, engine start, taxi and initial climb out were normal. First officer was flying and, when he called for 'gear up,' I raised gear handle and we received a 'nose gear doors not closed' ECAM message. I instructed first officer to fly aircraft while I performed our company procedures, which called for gear to be recycled (no change in gear door status). We requested vectors in the area and an altitude of 6000 ft MSL while I conferred with our dispatch and maintenance control. After discussing our situation with dispatch/maintenance, it was recommended we return to msp and perform an overweight landing. (Aircraft weight was +/-155000 pounds, maximum landing weight is 142200 pounds.) after declaring an emergency, we were vectored for a visual and I elected to have first officer perform the landing. Although there were messages indicating possible landing gear control computer problems, we extended the gear normally and all system and indications were normal throughout the approach/landing (with the exception of the loss of nose steering, which is normal with nose/gear doors not closed). Touchdown was smooth (less than 200 FPM) and I was able to clear the runway with differential braking. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that no information was available from maintenance as to the corrective action but believes the problem was between the landing gear computer and the brake system computer. The reporter said nothing the gate mechanics had done could have caused the problem as taxi out and takeoff were normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A320 ON CLB AFTER TKOF DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS NOT CLOSED ECAM MESSAGE.

Narrative: DEADHEAD FLT ARRIVED MSP JUST ABOUT DEP TIME FOR MY OUTBOUND FLT TO LAX, SO I HURRIED TO GATE WHERE I FOUND PAX ALREADY LOADED AND CREW WAITING. FO BRIEFED ME ON STATUS OF ACFT, SAYING THERE WERE NO WRITE-UPS. MAINT WAS JUST WRAPPING UP SVCING NOSE GEAR STRUT AND RAMP PERSONNEL DOING SOME LAST MIN BAGS. I CHKED LOGBOOKS, LOOKED OVER RELEASE AND WX AND SIGNED RELEASE SO THAT GATE AGENT COULD CLOSE THE CABIN DOOR. DURING MY PREFLT CHKS, A MECH CALLED UP FROM TUG TO HAVE US TURN OFF YELLOW AND BLUE ELECTRIC HYD PUMPS, WHICH HE HAD TURNED ON FOR SOME REASON BEFORE MY ARR. WE TURNED THEM OFF AS DIRECTED AND I FINISHED MY 'FLOWS' AND CALLED FOR THE PREFLT CHKLIST. BY THE TIME WE WERE ALL CLOSED UP AND PUSHING BACK, WE WERE ABOUT 1 HR LATE. (SCHEDULE WAS XA50 LCL, WE PUSHED AT XB51.) PUSHBACK, ENG START, TAXI AND INITIAL CLBOUT WERE NORMAL. FO WAS FLYING AND, WHEN HE CALLED FOR 'GEAR UP,' I RAISED GEAR HANDLE AND WE RECEIVED A 'NOSE GEAR DOORS NOT CLOSED' ECAM MESSAGE. I INSTRUCTED FO TO FLY ACFT WHILE I PERFORMED OUR COMPANY PROCS, WHICH CALLED FOR GEAR TO BE RECYCLED (NO CHANGE IN GEAR DOOR STATUS). WE REQUESTED VECTORS IN THE AREA AND AN ALT OF 6000 FT MSL WHILE I CONFERRED WITH OUR DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. AFTER DISCUSSING OUR SIT WITH DISPATCH/MAINT, IT WAS RECOMMENDED WE RETURN TO MSP AND PERFORM AN OVERWT LNDG. (ACFT WT WAS +/-155000 LBS, MAX LNDG WT IS 142200 LBS.) AFTER DECLARING AN EMER, WE WERE VECTORED FOR A VISUAL AND I ELECTED TO HAVE FO PERFORM THE LNDG. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MESSAGES INDICATING POSSIBLE LNDG GEAR CTL COMPUTER PROBS, WE EXTENDED THE GEAR NORMALLY AND ALL SYS AND INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE APCH/LNDG (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LOSS OF NOSE STEERING, WHICH IS NORMAL WITH NOSE/GEAR DOORS NOT CLOSED). TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH (LESS THAN 200 FPM) AND I WAS ABLE TO CLR THE RWY WITH DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT NO INFO WAS AVAILABLE FROM MAINT AS TO THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BUT BELIEVES THE PROB WAS BTWN THE LNDG GEAR COMPUTER AND THE BRAKE SYS COMPUTER. THE RPTR SAID NOTHING THE GATE MECHS HAD DONE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PROB AS TAXI OUT AND TKOF WERE NORMAL.

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.