Narrative:

Air turn back of flight abcd, aug/tue/01. I arrived at the aircraft, at ramp, 1 hour prior to the block time of XA35 local. While accomplishing the exterior safety inspection in accordance with the aom, I noticed that, although the aircraft was parked nose first to the ramp, the nose gear steering links were disconnected. Logbook review during the cockpit safety inspection indicated that maintenance had completed a maintenance check on the previous day. While conducting the exterior inspection, I discovered that the electrical/electronic (east/east) compartment door was open. I did not close it but instead located the on duty maintenance person. I expressed concern about both the disconnected steering links and the open east/east compartment door. He informed me that they were planning to tow the aircraft out of the spot and that we would also have to delay engine start until out on the ramp due to equipment behind the aircraft. He did not know why the east/east door was open but told me that he would both review the logbook and check inside the compartment to insure that all electrical equipment was in order. I continued the exterior inspection with no further discrepancies noted. After returning to the cockpit, I informed the captain about both the disconnected nose gear steering links and the open east/east compartment door and told him of maintenance's intention to tow us out of our spot. I also pointed out the maintenance check in the logbook and mentioned my request to maintenance to review it and check the aircraft. Shortly thereafter the mechanic informed me that he had checked the east/east compartment, and finding no discrepancies, had closed it. He had also reviewed the logbook and again found no problems. Maintenance towed us onto the ramp and, after engine start, informed us that the nose gear steering links were reconnected and we were cleared to pressurize 'a' system hydraulics. We accomplished the 'after start' checklist and, during taxi-out, the 'before takeoff' checklist. During gear retraction, I noticed that the amber 'nose gear door' light on the so panel did not illuminate. All other indications were normal. After the red main gear lights on the instrument panel had extinguished but the red nose gear light remained on, I notified the captain that the nose gear apparently failed to retract. We all noticed a louder than usual wind noise. The captain directed the first officer (PNF) to lower the gear handle in accordance with the abnormal checklist. All indications were normal for all gear down. The first officer then raised the gear handle and again the amber 'nose gear door' light did not illuminate and the red nose gear light remained on with louder than normal wind noise for gear up. The captain directed the first officer to notify ATC that we would need to return to YYY and asked me to notify flight control that we would be on air turn back. We completed the 'after takeoff' check, 'approach' check and 'landing' check, then landed uneventfully. After block in, the mechanic discovered the nose gear pin installed. We then got new release paperwork and weight and balance and operated to ZZZ.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-100 CREW WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR BECAUSE THE LOCK PIN WAS NOT REMOVED.

Narrative: AIR TURN BACK OF FLT ABCD, AUG/TUE/01. I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, AT RAMP, 1 HR PRIOR TO THE BLOCK TIME OF XA35 LCL. WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE EXTERIOR SAFETY INSPECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AOM, I NOTICED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE ACFT WAS PARKED NOSE FIRST TO THE RAMP, THE NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS WERE DISCONNECTED. LOGBOOK REVIEW DURING THE COCKPIT SAFETY INSPECTION INDICATED THAT MAINT HAD COMPLETED A MAINT CHK ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. WHILE CONDUCTING THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION, I DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC (E/E) COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS OPEN. I DID NOT CLOSE IT BUT INSTEAD LOCATED THE ON DUTY MAINT PERSON. I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT BOTH THE DISCONNECTED STEERING LINKS AND THE OPEN E/E COMPARTMENT DOOR. HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO TOW THE ACFT OUT OF THE SPOT AND THAT WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO DELAY ENG START UNTIL OUT ON THE RAMP DUE TO EQUIP BEHIND THE ACFT. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY THE E/E DOOR WAS OPEN BUT TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD BOTH REVIEW THE LOGBOOK AND CHK INSIDE THE COMPARTMENT TO INSURE THAT ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP WAS IN ORDER. I CONTINUED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION WITH NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES NOTED. AFTER RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT, I INFORMED THE CAPT ABOUT BOTH THE DISCONNECTED NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS AND THE OPEN E/E COMPARTMENT DOOR AND TOLD HIM OF MAINT'S INTENTION TO TOW US OUT OF OUR SPOT. I ALSO POINTED OUT THE MAINT CHK IN THE LOGBOOK AND MENTIONED MY REQUEST TO MAINT TO REVIEW IT AND CHK THE ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE MECH INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD CHKED THE E/E COMPARTMENT, AND FINDING NO DISCREPANCIES, HAD CLOSED IT. HE HAD ALSO REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND AGAIN FOUND NO PROBS. MAINT TOWED US ONTO THE RAMP AND, AFTER ENG START, INFORMED US THAT THE NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS WERE RECONNECTED AND WE WERE CLRED TO PRESSURIZE 'A' SYS HYDS. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE 'AFTER START' CHKLIST AND, DURING TAXI-OUT, THE 'BEFORE TKOF' CHKLIST. DURING GEAR RETRACTION, I NOTICED THAT THE AMBER 'NOSE GEAR DOOR' LIGHT ON THE SO PANEL DID NOT ILLUMINATE. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AFTER THE RED MAIN GEAR LIGHTS ON THE INST PANEL HAD EXTINGUISHED BUT THE RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ON, I NOTIFIED THE CAPT THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPARENTLY FAILED TO RETRACT. WE ALL NOTICED A LOUDER THAN USUAL WIND NOISE. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE FO (PNF) TO LOWER THE GEAR HANDLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL FOR ALL GEAR DOWN. THE FO THEN RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE AND AGAIN THE AMBER 'NOSE GEAR DOOR' LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ON WITH LOUDER THAN NORMAL WIND NOISE FOR GEAR UP. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE FO TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO YYY AND ASKED ME TO NOTIFY FLT CTL THAT WE WOULD BE ON AIR TURN BACK. WE COMPLETED THE 'AFTER TKOF' CHK, 'APCH' CHK AND 'LNDG' CHK, THEN LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER BLOCK IN, THE MECH DISCOVERED THE NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. WE THEN GOT NEW RELEASE PAPERWORK AND WT AND BAL AND OPERATED TO ZZZ.

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.