Narrative:

Performed emergency landing at oma with all gear down and locked, but main gear door open. Landing was uneventful. After landing on runway 14R at oma, brakes were parked and we awaited the mechanics to secure the aircraft (manually close the gear doors and insert gear pins) and tow aircraft to the gate. We were asked by the rescue team if we could taxi aircraft off of active runway. I said we could not until airplane was properly secured. We were then approached by the oma airport operations supervisor and he insisted that we had to move the aircraft that he needed his runway back. We refused and read word for word from our emergency procedures manual that the doors had to be closed and gear pins installed before the aircraft is towed. He again insisted we move the aircraft. I refused. Once again he reiterated that we could not remain on the runway and then he gave me his name and title and said he would take full responsibility. The urgency he expressed intimidated me into allowing the aircraft to be towed off the runway with gear doors open (the ground crew could not get the doors closed manually). I am not certain if gear pins were installed. Once clear of runway, the doors were eventually closed and aircraft towed to gate without further problems. In retrospect: the important part of this report is: 1) the captain should retain control of the aircraft in all respects until parked at the gate and should not be intimidated by anyone to do something that he/she thinks may not be proper. 2) all ground rescue personnel and an airport operations supervisor should respect the captain's authority/authorized in an emergency situation and not coerce or intimidate the crew for his convenience. 3) a set of gear pins should be carried in the cockpit for access by the flight crew. 4) if possible, a placard should be installed on the inside of the gear doors with instructions on manually closing the doors and a warning to not move the aircraft with gear doors open and gear pins not installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER AN EMER LNDG AN MD80 WAS TOWED OFF ACTIVE RWY AGAINST CAPT'S WISHES BEFORE THE GEAR PINS WERE INSTALLED AND MAIN GEAR DOORS CLOSED AT OMA, NE.

Narrative: PERFORMED EMER LNDG AT OMA WITH ALL GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT MAIN GEAR DOOR OPEN. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG ON RWY 14R AT OMA, BRAKES WERE PARKED AND WE AWAITED THE MECHS TO SECURE THE ACFT (MANUALLY CLOSE THE GEAR DOORS AND INSERT GEAR PINS) AND TOW ACFT TO THE GATE. WE WERE ASKED BY THE RESCUE TEAM IF WE COULD TAXI ACFT OFF OF ACTIVE RWY. I SAID WE COULD NOT UNTIL AIRPLANE WAS PROPERLY SECURED. WE WERE THEN APCHED BY THE OMA ARPT OPS SUPVR AND HE INSISTED THAT WE HAD TO MOVE THE ACFT THAT HE NEEDED HIS RWY BACK. WE REFUSED AND READ WORD FOR WORD FROM OUR EMER PROCS MANUAL THAT THE DOORS HAD TO BE CLOSED AND GEAR PINS INSTALLED BEFORE THE ACFT IS TOWED. HE AGAIN INSISTED WE MOVE THE ACFT. I REFUSED. ONCE AGAIN HE REITERATED THAT WE COULD NOT REMAIN ON THE RWY AND THEN HE GAVE ME HIS NAME AND TITLE AND SAID HE WOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY. THE URGENCY HE EXPRESSED INTIMIDATED ME INTO ALLOWING THE ACFT TO BE TOWED OFF THE RWY WITH GEAR DOORS OPEN (THE GND CREW COULD NOT GET THE DOORS CLOSED MANUALLY). I AM NOT CERTAIN IF GEAR PINS WERE INSTALLED. ONCE CLR OF RWY, THE DOORS WERE EVENTUALLY CLOSED AND ACFT TOWED TO GATE WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. IN RETROSPECT: THE IMPORTANT PART OF THIS RPT IS: 1) THE CAPT SHOULD RETAIN CTL OF THE ACFT IN ALL RESPECTS UNTIL PARKED AT THE GATE AND SHOULD NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY ANYONE TO DO SOMETHING THAT HE/SHE THINKS MAY NOT BE PROPER. 2) ALL GND RESCUE PERSONNEL AND AN ARPT OPS SUPVR SHOULD RESPECT THE CAPT'S AUTH IN AN EMER SIT AND NOT COERCE OR INTIMIDATE THE CREW FOR HIS CONVENIENCE. 3) A SET OF GEAR PINS SHOULD BE CARRIED IN THE COCKPIT FOR ACCESS BY THE FLC. 4) IF POSSIBLE, A PLACARD SHOULD BE INSTALLED ON THE INSIDE OF THE GEAR DOORS WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON MANUALLY CLOSING THE DOORS AND A WARNING TO NOT MOVE THE ACFT WITH GEAR DOORS OPEN AND GEAR PINS NOT INSTALLED.

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.