Narrative:

A B777 departed sfo runway 28R. Approximately takeoff gross weight was 600000 pounds. On climb out, shortly after gear retraction, we received EICAS for 'gear disagreement' and 'gear door.' main landing gear showed 'up' and nose landing gear showed 'in transit.' speed was limited to approximately 240 KTS. We leveled off, requested holding, then climbed to 10000 ft and held. After talking it over with dispatch and maintenance, we ran appropriate checklists, dumped fuel, and made an uneventful return and landing at sfo (just below maximum landing weight). During taxi in, nosewheel steering stopped working. We requested and were towed to gate. Maintenance advised that nose landing gear safety pin was still installed. There were obvious chances to preclude this waste of time, waste of jet fuel, and inconvenience to our passenger. The airplane came from maintenance where the pin should have been removed. An ETOPS service check was performed and the chance for pin removal. Copilot walkaround -- another missed opportunity, and finally pushback and release by ramp personnel -- where presence of pin was again missed. Adding to the difficulty in seeing the nose gear downlock pin, apparently the attached streamer was tightly wrapped around the brace into which it was inserted. Without the streamer hanging down into the nose gear wheel well, it is in a difficult location to notice. Ironically, the copilot and I spoke about thorough walkarounds and the fact that maintenance might only actually 'look' at the aircraft once a day. He spent considerable time and diligence as evidenced by the fact that he wiped away grease to show blue stripes on main landing gear tires and then called a mechanic to doublechk the main landing gear tire intermix. Supplemental information from acn 605801: a decision was made to swap to a new aircraft and add an extra relief pilot. We arrived at destination 4 hours behind schedule. As the sole relief pilot, I began the exterior inspection at the front left side of the aircraft and began a clockwise inspection. As I approached the nose wheel well, I observed the tow bar and steering bypass pin/flag installed. I looked up into the well while standing in front of the right nosewheel. I can definitely recall the overall condition of the wheel as normal. I can definitely recall not seeing a pin flag. I cannot explain why I would not see the pin or mentally register its presence. I know that I must have looked right at it and cannot recall anything that might have distraction my inspection of this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED FOR A B777 CREW AFTER FUEL DUMPED. RELIEF PLT OVERLOOKED THE FLAG ON THE FLAWED NOSE GEAR PIN DURING PREFLT AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: A B777 DEPARTED SFO RWY 28R. APPROX TKOF GROSS WT WAS 600000 LBS. ON CLBOUT, SHORTLY AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, WE RECEIVED EICAS FOR 'GEAR DISAGREEMENT' AND 'GEAR DOOR.' MAIN LNDG GEAR SHOWED 'UP' AND NOSE LNDG GEAR SHOWED 'IN TRANSIT.' SPD WAS LIMITED TO APPROX 240 KTS. WE LEVELED OFF, REQUESTED HOLDING, THEN CLBED TO 10000 FT AND HELD. AFTER TALKING IT OVER WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT, WE RAN APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, DUMPED FUEL, AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL RETURN AND LNDG AT SFO (JUST BELOW MAX LNDG WT). DURING TAXI IN, NOSEWHEEL STEERING STOPPED WORKING. WE REQUESTED AND WERE TOWED TO GATE. MAINT ADVISED THAT NOSE LNDG GEAR SAFETY PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED. THERE WERE OBVIOUS CHANCES TO PRECLUDE THIS WASTE OF TIME, WASTE OF JET FUEL, AND INCONVENIENCE TO OUR PAX. THE AIRPLANE CAME FROM MAINT WHERE THE PIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED. AN ETOPS SVC CHK WAS PERFORMED AND THE CHANCE FOR PIN REMOVAL. COPLT WALKAROUND -- ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY, AND FINALLY PUSHBACK AND RELEASE BY RAMP PERSONNEL -- WHERE PRESENCE OF PIN WAS AGAIN MISSED. ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTY IN SEEING THE NOSE GEAR DOWNLOCK PIN, APPARENTLY THE ATTACHED STREAMER WAS TIGHTLY WRAPPED AROUND THE BRACE INTO WHICH IT WAS INSERTED. WITHOUT THE STREAMER HANGING DOWN INTO THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL, IT IS IN A DIFFICULT LOCATION TO NOTICE. IRONICALLY, THE COPLT AND I SPOKE ABOUT THOROUGH WALKAROUNDS AND THE FACT THAT MAINT MIGHT ONLY ACTUALLY 'LOOK' AT THE ACFT ONCE A DAY. HE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME AND DILIGENCE AS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT HE WIPED AWAY GREASE TO SHOW BLUE STRIPES ON MAIN LNDG GEAR TIRES AND THEN CALLED A MECH TO DOUBLECHK THE MAIN LNDG GEAR TIRE INTERMIX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605801: A DECISION WAS MADE TO SWAP TO A NEW ACFT AND ADD AN EXTRA RELIEF PLT. WE ARRIVED AT DEST 4 HRS BEHIND SCHEDULE. AS THE SOLE RELIEF PLT, I BEGAN THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION AT THE FRONT L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND BEGAN A CLOCKWISE INSPECTION. AS I APCHED THE NOSE WHEEL WELL, I OBSERVED THE TOW BAR AND STEERING BYPASS PIN/FLAG INSTALLED. I LOOKED UP INTO THE WELL WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE R NOSEWHEEL. I CAN DEFINITELY RECALL THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE WHEEL AS NORMAL. I CAN DEFINITELY RECALL NOT SEEING A PIN FLAG. I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY I WOULD NOT SEE THE PIN OR MENTALLY REGISTER ITS PRESENCE. I KNOW THAT I MUST HAVE LOOKED RIGHT AT IT AND CANNOT RECALL ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAVE DISTR MY INSPECTION OF THIS AREA.

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.