Narrative:

On takeoff from tpa, at gear retraction, we heard a loud bang from the nose gear wheel well. We had a nose gear red door unsafe light on the forward instrument panel. We told tpa tower we would like to level off at 5000 ft MSL and return for landing. The tower told us someone reported seeing something fall off our aircraft at takeoff. We switched to departure control and asked to dump fuel. Following the abnormal gear retraction checklist, we lowered the gear and got 3 down and locked gear lights, but still had the red nose gear door lights. We retracted the flaps to 5 degrees, kept the airspeed at 180 KTS, completed the abnormal checklist, did the descent and approach checklist, 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 requested runway 36L (the longest), emergency equipment and company maintenance (to pin the gear and check for damage). After dumping down to landing weight we made a normal, safe and uneventful landing. We stopped on the runway and had maintenance pin the gear and check for damage after which they cleared us to taxi to the gate. Upon examining the aircraft, we found the nose gear doors were gone. The left lower pitot probe was missing and the right nose gear tire was flat, caused by a large cut. The #3 left leading edge slat had 2 large dents with a crack in the skin. The nose gear doors were found on the airport and returned to maintenance. This aircraft had just been returned to operation after a maintenance letter check, obviously some quality assurance was needed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC HEARS A LOUD BANG ON TKOF. THEY DISCOVER THAT THEY HAVE LOST THEIR NOSEWHEEL DOORS. THE ACFT SUFFERED SOME ASSOCIATED DAMAGE. RETURN LAND PERFORMED.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM TPA, AT GEAR RETRACTION, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL. WE HAD A NOSE GEAR RED DOOR UNSAFE LIGHT ON THE FORWARD INST PANEL. WE TOLD TPA TWR WE WOULD LIKE TO LEVEL OFF AT 5000 FT MSL AND RETURN FOR LNDG. THE TWR TOLD US SOMEONE RPTED SEEING SOMETHING FALL OFF OUR ACFT AT TKOF. WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND ASKED TO DUMP FUEL. FOLLOWING THE ABNORMAL GEAR RETRACTION CHKLIST, WE LOWERED THE GEAR AND GOT 3 DOWN AND LOCKED GEAR LIGHTS, BUT STILL HAD THE RED NOSE GEAR DOOR LIGHTS. WE RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO 5 DEGS, KEPT THE AIRSPD AT 180 KTS, COMPLETED THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST, DID THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST, 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 REQUESTED RWY 36L (THE LONGEST), EMER EQUIP AND COMPANY MAINT (TO PIN THE GEAR AND CHK FOR DAMAGE). AFTER DUMPING DOWN TO LNDG WT WE MADE A NORMAL, SAFE AND UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE STOPPED ON THE RWY AND HAD MAINT PIN THE GEAR AND CHK FOR DAMAGE AFTER WHICH THEY CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE. UPON EXAMINING THE ACFT, WE FOUND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE GONE. THE L LOWER PITOT PROBE WAS MISSING AND THE R NOSE GEAR TIRE WAS FLAT, CAUSED BY A LARGE CUT. THE #3 L LEADING EDGE SLAT HAD 2 LARGE DENTS WITH A CRACK IN THE SKIN. THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE FOUND ON THE ARPT AND RETURNED TO MAINT. THIS ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RETURNED TO OP AFTER A MAINT LETTER CHK, OBVIOUSLY SOME QUALITY ASSURANCE WAS NEEDED.

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.