MD80 crew, unable to retract gear after takeoff, divert to alternate airport in mci airspace.

Attributes
ACN	423979
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	423979
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On taxi out from gate, hit patch of ice and captain had to use reverse to keep aircraft on taxiway. After takeoff, tried to retract gear, but nose gear would not retract. Ran through appropriate checklist. Nose gear would still not come up. Diverted to stl with gear down. Landed uneventfully. Did not declare an emergency as we had 3 down and locked indications. As a precaution, had stl roll crash and rescue trucks. On arrival, discovered that nose strut had lost all pressure. Contract maintenance fixed and we taxied out only to have strut bottom out again. Taxied back to gate and strut had again lost all pressure. Airplane taken OTS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW, UNABLE TO RETRACT GEAR AFTER TKOF, DIVERT TO ALTERNATE ARPT IN MCI AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FROM GATE, HIT PATCH OF ICE AND CAPT HAD TO USE REVERSE TO KEEP ACFT ON TXWY. AFTER TKOF, TRIED TO RETRACT GEAR, BUT NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. RAN THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHKLIST. NOSE GEAR WOULD STILL NOT COME UP. DIVERTED TO STL WITH GEAR DOWN. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS WE HAD 3 DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATIONS. AS A PRECAUTION, HAD STL ROLL CRASH AND RESCUE TRUCKS. ON ARR, DISCOVERED THAT NOSE STRUT HAD LOST ALL PRESSURE. CONTRACT MAINT FIXED AND WE TAXIED OUT ONLY TO HAVE STRUT BOTTOM OUT AGAIN. TAXIED BACK TO GATE AND STRUT HAD AGAIN LOST ALL PRESSURE. AIRPLANE TAKEN OTS.

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.