Narrative:

During takeoff from tpa at gear retraction, we heard a loud bang from the nose gear wheel well followed by a red 'doors' light on the forward instrument panel. We told tpa tower we would like to level off at 5000 ft MSL and return for landing. Tpa tower advised us that someone reported seeing something fall off our aircraft. We switched to departure control and asked to dump fuel. Following the abnormal gear retraction checklist, we lowered the landing gear and got 3 down and locked gear lights, but still had the red nose gear 'doors' light illuminated. We had retracted the flaps to 5 degrees and kept the airspeed at 180 KIAS. We completed the abnormal checklist, did the descent and approach checklists, briefed the flight attendants and asked them to prepare the cabin for an emergency landing and possible evacuate/evacuation. We made 2 PA's to the passenger to inform them of what we were doing and assure them of their safety. We asked for runway 36L (the longest runway at tpa), requested emergency equipment and air carrier maintenance (to pin the gear and check for damage). After dumping fuel to an aircraft weight of 154000 pounds we made a safe and uneventful landing. We stopped straight ahead on the runway and had maintenance pin the landing gear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR DOOR FELL OFF DURING GEAR RETRACTION. CREW DECLARED EMER, DUMPED FUEL TO MAX LNDG WT AND RETURNED FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

Narrative: DURING TKOF FROM TPA AT GEAR RETRACTION, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL FOLLOWED BY A RED 'DOORS' LIGHT ON THE FORWARD INST PANEL. WE TOLD TPA TWR WE WOULD LIKE TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT MSL AND RETURN FOR LNDG. TPA TWR ADVISED US THAT SOMEONE RPTED SEEING SOMETHING FALL OFF OUR ACFT. WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND ASKED TO DUMP FUEL. FOLLOWING THE ABNORMAL GEAR RETRACTION CHKLIST, WE LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR AND GOT 3 DOWN AND LOCKED GEAR LIGHTS, BUT STILL HAD THE RED NOSE GEAR 'DOORS' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE HAD RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO 5 DEGS AND KEPT THE AIRSPD AT 180 KIAS. WE COMPLETED THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST, DID THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS, BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND ASKED THEM TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG AND POSSIBLE EVAC. WE MADE 2 PA'S TO THE PAX TO INFORM THEM OF WHAT WE WERE DOING AND ASSURE THEM OF THEIR SAFETY. WE ASKED FOR RWY 36L (THE LONGEST RWY AT TPA), REQUESTED EMER EQUIP AND ACR MAINT (TO PIN THE GEAR AND CHK FOR DAMAGE). AFTER DUMPING FUEL TO AN ACFT WT OF 154000 LBS WE MADE A SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE STOPPED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE RWY AND HAD MAINT PIN THE LNDG 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.