Narrative:

Flight iah-ewr DC10. On takeoff center gear light indicated unsafe condition (red gear light). We performed normal and abnormal checklists. We determined that the center gear was down and locked because we were short 1 gear pin in the cockpit. We dumped approximately 17000 pounds of fuel, landed uneventful back at iah. On the gate maintenance came into the cockpit with 1 main gear pin, not a center gear pin. Main pins have a flag about 1 1/2 ft long, center gear pins are about 4 ft long. Maintenance missed the pin on tow up. Aircraft was worked on all night by maintenance. I was informed by maintenance that the flight engineer could not have seen a main gear pin at the center gear location because it's too short and the gear doors prevent looking into the area. Somehow the flight engineer miscounted gear pins on his preflight. The flight engineer is a professional thorough person. The gear pins on most of our aircraft are wadded up in a mess, crammed into a corner or box of some kind. Most guys don't want to touch the dirty oil covered pins. I suggest we have a pin holder mounted somewhere in the cockpit in plain view of at least 1 person. If the aircraft has 4 pins, have slots for each pin. Also use the appropriate pin for the position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB HAS CTR GEAR LIGHT ACTIVATE WHEN GEAR RETRACTED. THEY DISCOVER THEY ARE SHORT 1 GEAR PIN IN THE COCKPIT. THEY MUST DUMP FUEL AND RETURN TO HAVE THE PIN REMOVED.

Narrative: FLT IAH-EWR DC10. ON TKOF CTR GEAR LIGHT INDICATED UNSAFE CONDITION (RED GEAR LIGHT). WE PERFORMED NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CHKLISTS. WE DETERMINED THAT THE CTR GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED BECAUSE WE WERE SHORT 1 GEAR PIN IN THE COCKPIT. WE DUMPED APPROX 17000 LBS OF FUEL, LANDED UNEVENTFUL BACK AT IAH. ON THE GATE MAINT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT WITH 1 MAIN GEAR PIN, NOT A CTR GEAR PIN. MAIN PINS HAVE A FLAG ABOUT 1 1/2 FT LONG, CTR GEAR PINS ARE ABOUT 4 FT LONG. MAINT MISSED THE PIN ON TOW UP. ACFT WAS WORKED ON ALL NIGHT BY MAINT. I WAS INFORMED BY MAINT THAT THE FE COULD NOT HAVE SEEN A MAIN GEAR PIN AT THE CTR GEAR LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S TOO SHORT AND THE GEAR DOORS PREVENT LOOKING INTO THE AREA. SOMEHOW THE FE MISCOUNTED GEAR PINS ON HIS PREFLT. THE FE IS A PROFESSIONAL THOROUGH PERSON. THE GEAR PINS ON MOST OF OUR ACFT ARE WADDED UP IN A MESS, CRAMMED INTO A CORNER OR BOX OF SOME KIND. MOST GUYS DON'T WANT TO TOUCH THE DIRTY OIL COVERED PINS. I SUGGEST WE HAVE A PIN HOLDER MOUNTED SOMEWHERE IN THE COCKPIT IN PLAIN VIEW OF AT LEAST 1 PERSON. IF THE ACFT HAS 4 PINS, HAVE SLOTS FOR EACH PIN. ALSO USE THE APPROPRIATE PIN FOR THE POS.

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.