CL65 pushback crew did not have nose gear pin removed prior to takeoff at ord.

Attributes
ACN	534361
Time
Date	200112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rst.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	534361
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	534038
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas lndg gear indication other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The previous night the ground crew removed the pins from the holder and pinned the gear at the gate for the overnight. We arrived for the first flight of the day. The first officer retrieved the main gear pins. No gear pin was found in the nose gear. And no pin in the holder to complete the checklist. I told the ground personnel to find the nose gear pin. Ground person arrived with nose pin for holder. All pins were present and accounted for. I told first officer to check nose gear again. She reported that she opened the nose gear door and saw a hole where the pin would be. We finished the paperwork and I asked the first officer if she was 'sure' no pin was in the nose. She told the ground person to back her up with a check of the nose. The ground person reported no pin in the nose. We took off and received a gear disagreement message. We ran the QRH procedure and returned to ord. The nose gear pin was found in nose. I can only speculate that at the last min personnel unfamiliar with the new pinless push procedure pinned the nose. They then went on to other duties. What could be done? Perhaps more education for the ground personnel. I don't think that I could do any more than I did. Supplemental information from acn 534038: upon arrival at the aircraft at XA15 on dec/mon/01, I did my walkaround and preflight checks. I pulled out the 2 main gear pins and brought them on board the aircraft. When I put the main gear pins away, I realized there was a pin missing (nose pin). I checked outside at the nose and there was no nose gear pin inside the nose. I then asked the ord ramp agent about the missing pin. He didn't know where it was either and checked the nose gear for the pin as well. He also did not see it. He brought out from operations an extra nose gear pin for us to take with us. I did one more check of the nose gear for the pin and again didn't find it. We took off and upon retraction of the gear, we got a 'gear disagreement' and the nose gear would not come up. We ran procedures and tried it again to no avail. We returned to ord and the ramp agents found the nose gear pin in the nose when we pulled in to the gate. Both the captain and myself, and the ramp agent who earlier checked the nose gear pin, were all confused. The only thing that we could all think of was that maybe one of the ramp agents put the nose pin in for pushback (an operation that air carrier doesn't use anymore since sep/xa/01 after the walkaround was accomplished, and no one knew to look for it after pushback was complete.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 PUSHBACK CREW DID NOT HAVE NOSE GEAR PIN REMOVED PRIOR TO TKOF AT ORD.

Narrative: THE PREVIOUS NIGHT THE GND CREW REMOVED THE PINS FROM THE HOLDER AND PINNED THE GEAR AT THE GATE FOR THE OVERNIGHT. WE ARRIVED FOR THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. THE FO RETRIEVED THE MAIN GEAR PINS. NO GEAR PIN WAS FOUND IN THE NOSE GEAR. AND NO PIN IN THE HOLDER TO COMPLETE THE CHKLIST. I TOLD THE GND PERSONNEL TO FIND THE NOSE GEAR PIN. GND PERSON ARRIVED WITH NOSE PIN FOR HOLDER. ALL PINS WERE PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR. I TOLD FO TO CHK NOSE GEAR AGAIN. SHE RPTED THAT SHE OPENED THE NOSE GEAR DOOR AND SAW A HOLE WHERE THE PIN WOULD BE. WE FINISHED THE PAPERWORK AND I ASKED THE FO IF SHE WAS 'SURE' NO PIN WAS IN THE NOSE. SHE TOLD THE GND PERSON TO BACK HER UP WITH A CHK OF THE NOSE. THE GND PERSON RPTED NO PIN IN THE NOSE. WE TOOK OFF AND RECEIVED A GEAR DISAGREEMENT MESSAGE. WE RAN THE QRH PROC AND RETURNED TO ORD. THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS FOUND IN NOSE. I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT AT THE LAST MIN PERSONNEL UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NEW PINLESS PUSH PROC PINNED THE NOSE. THEY THEN WENT ON TO OTHER DUTIES. WHAT COULD BE DONE? PERHAPS MORE EDUCATION FOR THE GND PERSONNEL. I DON'T THINK THAT I COULD DO ANY MORE THAN I DID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534038: UPON ARR AT THE ACFT AT XA15 ON DEC/MON/01, I DID MY WALKAROUND AND PREFLT CHKS. I PULLED OUT THE 2 MAIN GEAR PINS AND BROUGHT THEM ON BOARD THE ACFT. WHEN I PUT THE MAIN GEAR PINS AWAY, I REALIZED THERE WAS A PIN MISSING (NOSE PIN). I CHKED OUTSIDE AT THE NOSE AND THERE WAS NO NOSE GEAR PIN INSIDE THE NOSE. I THEN ASKED THE ORD RAMP AGENT ABOUT THE MISSING PIN. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS EITHER AND CHKED THE NOSE GEAR FOR THE PIN AS WELL. HE ALSO DID NOT SEE IT. HE BROUGHT OUT FROM OPS AN EXTRA NOSE GEAR PIN FOR US TO TAKE WITH US. I DID ONE MORE CHK OF THE NOSE GEAR FOR THE PIN AND AGAIN DIDN'T FIND IT. WE TOOK OFF AND UPON RETRACTION OF THE GEAR, WE GOT A 'GEAR DISAGREEMENT' AND THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT COME UP. WE RAN PROCS AND TRIED IT AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. WE RETURNED TO ORD AND THE RAMP AGENTS FOUND THE NOSE GEAR PIN IN THE NOSE WHEN WE PULLED IN TO THE GATE. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF, AND THE RAMP AGENT WHO EARLIER CHKED THE NOSE GEAR PIN, WERE ALL CONFUSED. THE ONLY THING THAT WE COULD ALL THINK OF WAS THAT MAYBE ONE OF THE RAMP AGENTS PUT THE NOSE PIN IN FOR PUSHBACK (AN OP THAT ACR DOESN'T USE ANYMORE SINCE SEP/XA/01 AFTER THE WALKAROUND WAS ACCOMPLISHED, AND NO ONE KNEW TO LOOK FOR IT AFTER PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETE.

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.