Cpr aircraft flight crew takes off with gear pins still in place. Return to departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	413177
Time
Date	199809
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	413177
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was reposed on ramp for an XA00 departure. During this repos the flight crew was informed that the departure was to be delayed to XG00 or XH00. The line crew was advised of this delay. They requested that the gear pins be left in because they may have to move the aircraft because of the takeoff delay and limited ramp space. The aircraft was refueled and a normal preflight was done less gear pin removal. The aircraft was readied for flight at XE00. Passenger luggage was loaded shortly after through the baggage door. When the passenger arrived at XH45, additional luggage was loaded by line personnel into the aft baggage compartment. At that time, the copilot also went to the aft of the plane to close the 'hellhole' door which was open for additional APU cooling. Line crews observed the engine starting and taxiing of the aircraft. No one observed that the gear pins were still installed even with both crew members doing walkaround inspections of the aircraft. After departure the gear failed to retract. The nose and left main gear showed green but the right main showed it was unlocked. The gear was recycled with the same results. The gear was then lowered with a 3 green indication. Departure control was notified that we wanted to return to teb. We did 2 fly-bys past the tower. On the first one, they indicated the possibility of sparks coming from under the aircraft. On the second fly-by, nothing unusual was observed. Only after landing and inspecting the gear did we realize that the gear pins were still in. The crew and line personnel realized that there was a serious oversight. This problem could have been avoided had the crew used flashlights on their last preflight instead of using ramp lighting. Another contributing factor was the short 'remove before flight' flags on the gear pins. They had been worn and torn from use. I do appreciate assistance from the teb tower the crew received in this matter. They acted in a very professional manner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR ACFT FLC TAKES OFF WITH GEAR PINS STILL IN PLACE. RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS REPOSED ON RAMP FOR AN XA00 DEP. DURING THIS REPOS THE FLC WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEP WAS TO BE DELAYED TO XG00 OR XH00. THE LINE CREW WAS ADVISED OF THIS DELAY. THEY REQUESTED THAT THE GEAR PINS BE LEFT IN BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE TO MOVE THE ACFT BECAUSE OF THE TKOF DELAY AND LIMITED RAMP SPACE. THE ACFT WAS REFUELED AND A NORMAL PREFLT WAS DONE LESS GEAR PIN REMOVAL. THE ACFT WAS READIED FOR FLT AT XE00. PAX LUGGAGE WAS LOADED SHORTLY AFTER THROUGH THE BAGGAGE DOOR. WHEN THE PAX ARRIVED AT XH45, ADDITIONAL LUGGAGE WAS LOADED BY LINE PERSONNEL INTO THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. AT THAT TIME, THE COPLT ALSO WENT TO THE AFT OF THE PLANE TO CLOSE THE 'HELLHOLE' DOOR WHICH WAS OPEN FOR ADDITIONAL APU COOLING. LINE CREWS OBSERVED THE ENG STARTING AND TAXIING OF THE ACFT. NO ONE OBSERVED THAT THE GEAR PINS WERE STILL INSTALLED EVEN WITH BOTH CREW MEMBERS DOING WALKAROUND INSPECTIONS OF THE ACFT. AFTER DEP THE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. THE NOSE AND L MAIN GEAR SHOWED GREEN BUT THE R MAIN SHOWED IT WAS UNLOCKED. THE GEAR WAS RECYCLED WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE GEAR WAS THEN LOWERED WITH A 3 GREEN INDICATION. DEP CTL WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE WANTED TO RETURN TO TEB. WE DID 2 FLY-BYS PAST THE TWR. ON THE FIRST ONE, THEY INDICATED THE POSSIBILITY OF SPARKS COMING FROM UNDER THE ACFT. ON THE SECOND FLY-BY, NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS OBSERVED. ONLY AFTER LNDG AND INSPECTING THE GEAR DID WE REALIZE THAT THE GEAR PINS WERE STILL IN. THE CREW AND LINE PERSONNEL REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT. THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THE CREW USED FLASHLIGHTS ON THEIR LAST PREFLT INSTEAD OF USING RAMP LIGHTING. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE SHORT 'REMOVE BEFORE FLT' FLAGS ON THE GEAR PINS. THEY HAD BEEN WORN AND TORN FROM USE. I DO APPRECIATE ASSISTANCE FROM THE TEB TWR THE CREW RECEIVED IN THIS MATTER. THEY ACTED IN A VERY PROFESSIONAL MANNER.

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.