Narrative:

After takeoff from fnt, the landing gear handle was positioned 'up' but the nose gear didn't retract fully. Departure control gave us vectors while we consulted our abnormal procedures. We then contacted dispatch and maintenance and with their help we were able to get all 3 landing gear down and locked. We also had a ground shift (ground sensing) failure which resulted in a loss of pressurization and a takeoff warning horn adding to the problem. After sorting out the various malfunctions (all due to a compressed nose strut), we conducted a normal approach and landing. I elected not to declare an emergency because we had visually checked the nose gear down and locked. However, we did have the crash fire rescue equipment standing by and had our maintenance people pin the landing gear upon clearing the runway, just in case. In conversation with mechanics and my first officer after the fact, we learned that the DC9-50 series nose gear will not fit into the wheel well with a fully compressed strut. Both my first officer and I have resolved to be vigilant of this in the future! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he did notice the nose gear was fairly well compressed on preflight, apparently in need of a nitrogen charge. It was not extreme and he felt it would function alright. He is not sure about how the gear fits into the well but it obviously will not fit when compressed. He believes the MD80 may have the same situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 FLC HAS GEAR HANDLE UP BUT NOSE GEAR WILL NOT FULLY RETRACT. FOLLOWING ABNORMAL PROCS CHKLIST THEY ARE ABLE TO GET ALL GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. HOWEVER, THE GND SENSING INDICATIONS NOW CAUSE A PRESSURIZATION PROB. RETURN TO DEP ARPT IS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM FNT, THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE WAS POSITIONED 'UP' BUT THE NOSE GEAR DIDN'T RETRACT FULLY. DEP CTL GAVE US VECTORS WHILE WE CONSULTED OUR ABNORMAL PROCS. WE THEN CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND WITH THEIR HELP WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL 3 LNDG GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. WE ALSO HAD A GND SHIFT (GND SENSING) FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND A TKOF WARNING HORN ADDING TO THE PROB. AFTER SORTING OUT THE VARIOUS MALFUNCTIONS (ALL DUE TO A COMPRESSED NOSE STRUT), WE CONDUCTED A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. I ELECTED NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE WE HAD VISUALLY CHKED THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE THE CFR STANDING BY AND HAD OUR MAINT PEOPLE PIN THE LNDG GEAR UPON CLRING THE RWY, JUST IN CASE. IN CONVERSATION WITH MECHS AND MY FO AFTER THE FACT, WE LEARNED THAT THE DC9-50 SERIES NOSE GEAR WILL NOT FIT INTO THE WHEEL WELL WITH A FULLY COMPRESSED STRUT. BOTH MY FO AND I HAVE RESOLVED TO BE VIGILANT OF THIS IN THE FUTURE! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOTICE THE NOSE GEAR WAS FAIRLY WELL COMPRESSED ON PREFLT, APPARENTLY IN NEED OF A NITROGEN CHARGE. IT WAS NOT EXTREME AND HE FELT IT WOULD FUNCTION ALRIGHT. HE IS NOT SURE ABOUT HOW THE GEAR FITS INTO THE WELL BUT IT OBVIOUSLY WILL NOT FIT WHEN COMPRESSED. HE BELIEVES THE MD80 MAY HAVE THE SAME SIT.

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.