A BAE4100 departed stl and was unable to retract gear.

Attributes
ACN	425025
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7750 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	425025
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon gear retraction the l-hand main unsafe light remained illuminated. We cycled the gear, but the same situation occurred. We returned to stl. On postflt inspection the first officer found that the gear pin for the l-hand main leg had not been removed. Apparently maintenance had left it in after bringing the aircraft over from our hangar. The first officer reported that he had visually inspected the area on his preflight and saw no gear pin or flag. The BAE4100 main gear pins are hard to see on preflight if the flag that is attached to the pin is not hanging down. The first officer told me that when he removed it after landing, the flag was tangled around way up in the well area. I feel that if the aircraft manufacturer had put a longer flag or better way to visually verify the pin was not in place that would help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE4100 DEPARTED STL AND WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT GEAR.

Narrative: UPON GEAR RETRACTION THE L-HAND MAIN UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WE CYCLED THE GEAR, BUT THE SAME SIT OCCURRED. WE RETURNED TO STL. ON POSTFLT INSPECTION THE FO FOUND THAT THE GEAR PIN FOR THE L-HAND MAIN LEG HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. APPARENTLY MAINT HAD LEFT IT IN AFTER BRINGING THE ACFT OVER FROM OUR HANGAR. THE FO RPTED THAT HE HAD VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AREA ON HIS PREFLT AND SAW NO GEAR PIN OR FLAG. THE BAE4100 MAIN GEAR PINS ARE HARD TO SEE ON PREFLT IF THE FLAG THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE PIN IS NOT HANGING DOWN. THE FO TOLD ME THAT WHEN HE REMOVED IT AFTER LNDG, THE FLAG WAS TANGLED AROUND WAY UP IN THE WELL AREA. I FEEL THAT IF THE ACFT MANUFACTURER HAD PUT A LONGER FLAG OR BETTER WAY TO VISUALLY VERIFY THE PIN WAS NOT IN PLACE THAT WOULD HELP.

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.