Narrative:

Following a normal takeoff and initial climb, PNF selected gear up. The mains retracted normally, but the gear unsafe light remained illuminated for the nose gear. A visual inspection confirmed that the gear was down and the down-lock pin installed. After coordinating a return to the field, a fuel dump of approximately 10000 pounds was completed to avoid an overweight landing. The subsequent approach and landing were uneventful. The pin was removed on the ground and the flight continued to destination. I believe there were several factors which contributed to this situation, including fatigue, haste, operating in an unfamiliar environment and poor adherence to the checklist. The crew had been away from base for 6 days moving passenger between the east coast and england. This involved multiple 15+ hour duty days followed by minimum crew rest with poor sleep leading into another long day. The stress from concerns about security following the events of 9/11 only added to the drain. Although there was no overt pressure on the crew to keep moving, there was an implied urgency to get people home as soon as possible. After delays for ground servicing, fuel, catering, etc, there was an unconscious push to get things moving as quickly as possible to return to schedule. Also, our destination airport in england was not one we normally operated from, and some procedures they used were slightly different than what we'd become accustomed to. The nose gear pin was not normally installed overnight. When it was installed, it would be removed prior to air crew show. I believe that more rigid adherence to the preflight checklist items would have avoided this unnecessary turn-back. Fortunately it was not an error that resulted in an unsafe condition, but in light of the other factors, it could have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF WITH A NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED RESULTS IN A RETURN FOR REMOVAL AFTER A DUMPING OF FUEL.

Narrative: FOLLOWING A NORMAL TKOF AND INITIAL CLB, PNF SELECTED GEAR UP. THE MAINS RETRACTED NORMALLY, BUT THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED FOR THE NOSE GEAR. A VISUAL INSPECTION CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND THE DOWN-LOCK PIN INSTALLED. AFTER COORDINATING A RETURN TO THE FIELD, A FUEL DUMP OF APPROX 10000 LBS WAS COMPLETED TO AVOID AN OVERWT LNDG. THE SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE PIN WAS REMOVED ON THE GND AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT, INCLUDING FATIGUE, HASTE, OPERATING IN AN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT AND POOR ADHERENCE TO THE CHKLIST. THE CREW HAD BEEN AWAY FROM BASE FOR 6 DAYS MOVING PAX BTWN THE EAST COAST AND ENGLAND. THIS INVOLVED MULTIPLE 15+ HR DUTY DAYS FOLLOWED BY MINIMUM CREW REST WITH POOR SLEEP LEADING INTO ANOTHER LONG DAY. THE STRESS FROM CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY FOLLOWING THE EVENTS OF 9/11 ONLY ADDED TO THE DRAIN. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO OVERT PRESSURE ON THE CREW TO KEEP MOVING, THERE WAS AN IMPLIED URGENCY TO GET PEOPLE HOME ASAP. AFTER DELAYS FOR GND SVCING, FUEL, CATERING, ETC, THERE WAS AN UNCONSCIOUS PUSH TO GET THINGS MOVING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO RETURN TO SCHEDULE. ALSO, OUR DESTINATION ARPT IN ENGLAND WAS NOT ONE WE NORMALLY OPERATED FROM, AND SOME PROCS THEY USED WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'D BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO. THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS NOT NORMALLY INSTALLED OVERNIGHT. WHEN IT WAS INSTALLED, IT WOULD BE REMOVED PRIOR TO AIR CREW SHOW. I BELIEVE THAT MORE RIGID ADHERENCE TO THE PREFLT CHKLIST ITEMS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS UNNECESSARY TURN-BACK. FORTUNATELY IT WAS NOT AN ERROR THAT RESULTED IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE OTHER FACTORS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN.

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.