Narrative:

XA30, jun/xx/98, flight xyz-ZZZ/WWW. We arrived at airplane, first officer did walkaround and I inspected logbook, preflight check, etc. Previous write up in logbook mentioned that inbound flight had a hydraulic quantity problem. Maintenance had signed off write- up as yaw damper #1 leak. They isolated yaw damper and placed MEL on aircraft. Only other MEL was for fuel autofeed system. No other write-ups, and all of aircraft equipment (ie, gear pins) were onboard. First officer completed walkaround with nothing unusual noted. We took off at approximately XB20 at 165000 pounds. When we raised gear, nose gear indication showed down and locked and noise level in cockpit confirmed that indication. We asked for and received vectors from departure control to remain in local area at 5000 ft so that we could accomplish ECAM/communication procedures. Recycling gear did not abate the problem. We called ZZZ maintenance and maintenance control in YYY for any other advice. Our cockpit indications were: nose gear down and locked, lgciu #1 and #2 inoperative, reversers #1 and #2 inoperative, thrust #1 and #2 to in-flight idle only, and nosewheel steer inoperative. We put all gear down, and elected to fly dirty for another hour to burn off some more fuel. We declared emergency with center (approach control) and advised them we needed to burn down to a lighter weight to land. We completed communication procedures for gear, heavy weight landing, etc. We briefed lead flight attendant for a code yellow emergency and made several announcement to passenger (150) to allay their concerns. We set up for VFR landing to runway 16L -- ZZZ (11900 ft length), 152000 pounds. We touched down at less than 200 FPM descent rate, stopped on runway, and shut down engine with APU running. Maintenance towed us to the gate. At the gate we found: 1) aircraft on previous flight was towed in due to hydraulic problem and maintenance had placed their nose gear safety pin into nose gear. 2) maintenance nose gear safety pin had no flag attached. 3) maintenance made no write-up stating aircraft was towed to gate. 4) maintenance made no write-up stating gear pins were installed or removed. 5) maintenance did not advise us of anything relating to problems associated with gear.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320, IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED LAND. DUE TO INABILITY TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A GEAR PIN INSTALLED FOR MAINT AND NOT REMOVED.

Narrative: XA30, JUN/XX/98, FLT XYZ-ZZZ/WWW. WE ARRIVED AT AIRPLANE, FO DID WALKAROUND AND I INSPECTED LOGBOOK, PREFLT CHK, ETC. PREVIOUS WRITE UP IN LOGBOOK MENTIONED THAT INBOUND FLT HAD A HYD QUANTITY PROB. MAINT HAD SIGNED OFF WRITE- UP AS YAW DAMPER #1 LEAK. THEY ISOLATED YAW DAMPER AND PLACED MEL ON ACFT. ONLY OTHER MEL WAS FOR FUEL AUTOFEED SYS. NO OTHER WRITE-UPS, AND ALL OF ACFT EQUIP (IE, GEAR PINS) WERE ONBOARD. FO COMPLETED WALKAROUND WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL NOTED. WE TOOK OFF AT APPROX XB20 AT 165000 LBS. WHEN WE RAISED GEAR, NOSE GEAR INDICATION SHOWED DOWN AND LOCKED AND NOISE LEVEL IN COCKPIT CONFIRMED THAT INDICATION. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED VECTORS FROM DEP CTL TO REMAIN IN LCL AREA AT 5000 FT SO THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH ECAM/COM PROCS. RECYCLING GEAR DID NOT ABATE THE PROB. WE CALLED ZZZ MAINT AND MAINT CTL IN YYY FOR ANY OTHER ADVICE. OUR COCKPIT INDICATIONS WERE: NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, LGCIU #1 AND #2 INOP, REVERSERS #1 AND #2 INOP, THRUST #1 AND #2 TO INFLT IDLE ONLY, AND NOSEWHEEL STEER INOP. WE PUT ALL GEAR DOWN, AND ELECTED TO FLY DIRTY FOR ANOTHER HR TO BURN OFF SOME MORE FUEL. WE DECLARED EMER WITH CTR (APCH CTL) AND ADVISED THEM WE NEEDED TO BURN DOWN TO A LIGHTER WT TO LAND. WE COMPLETED COM PROCS FOR GEAR, HVY WT LNDG, ETC. WE BRIEFED LEAD FLT ATTENDANT FOR A CODE YELLOW EMER AND MADE SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX (150) TO ALLAY THEIR CONCERNS. WE SET UP FOR VFR LNDG TO RWY 16L -- ZZZ (11900 FT LENGTH), 152000 LBS. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT LESS THAN 200 FPM DSCNT RATE, STOPPED ON RWY, AND SHUT DOWN ENG WITH APU RUNNING. MAINT TOWED US TO THE GATE. AT THE GATE WE FOUND: 1) ACFT ON PREVIOUS FLT WAS TOWED IN DUE TO HYD PROB AND MAINT HAD PLACED THEIR NOSE GEAR SAFETY PIN INTO NOSE GEAR. 2) MAINT NOSE GEAR SAFETY PIN HAD NO FLAG ATTACHED. 3) MAINT MADE NO WRITE-UP STATING ACFT WAS TOWED TO GATE. 4) MAINT MADE NO WRITE-UP STATING GEAR PINS WERE INSTALLED OR REMOVED. 5) MAINT DID NOT ADVISE US OF ANYTHING RELATING TO PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH GEAR.

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.