Narrative:

After takeoff, I noticed the landing gear unsafe lights were on. We had 3 red lights on the gear position indicator as well as the landing gear handle light on. The tower also stated our gear was extended. I xferred control of the aircraft to the first officer. I declared an emergency and decided that we would return to ZZZ. I decided that the alternate gear extension checklist was the appropriate action to follow, and began the abnormal checklist. A very short time later, while doing the alternate gear checklist, the gear retracted in a normal fashion with all indications of the gear being up. I suspected that these alternate gear door handles could be part of the problem. I completed all required checklists for normal flight and decided since no abnormal indications were present, to extend the gear normally, which we did successfully. We canceled our emergency status with ATC, and proceeded in for a normal precautionary landing. I also briefed the flight attendants and passenger of our current situation. I made a logbook entry in aircraft logbook. Maintenance found and corrected the cause for the abnormal gear indication, a ceiling panel obstructing the alternate gear door handle. The aircraft was returned to service and we continued on with our normal flight duties. I feel that our long duty day and lack of food available for nutrition made our job of identing the problem harder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR FAILS TO RETRACT FULLY ON DHC8 DEPARTING FROM ZZZ. DURING COMPLETION OF THE IRREGULAR PROC, THE GEAR RETRACTS FULLY AND THEN IS DEPLOYED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT THE DEP ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, I NOTICED THE LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS WERE ON. WE HAD 3 RED LIGHTS ON THE GEAR POS INDICATOR AS WELL AS THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE LIGHT ON. THE TWR ALSO STATED OUR GEAR WAS EXTENDED. I XFERRED CTL OF THE ACFT TO THE FO. I DECLARED AN EMER AND DECIDED THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO ZZZ. I DECIDED THAT THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION CHKLIST WAS THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO FOLLOW, AND BEGAN THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. A VERY SHORT TIME LATER, WHILE DOING THE ALTERNATE GEAR CHKLIST, THE GEAR RETRACTED IN A NORMAL FASHION WITH ALL INDICATIONS OF THE GEAR BEING UP. I SUSPECTED THAT THESE ALTERNATE GEAR DOOR HANDLES COULD BE PART OF THE PROB. I COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED CHKLISTS FOR NORMAL FLT AND DECIDED SINCE NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE PRESENT, TO EXTEND THE GEAR NORMALLY, WHICH WE DID SUCCESSFULLY. WE CANCELED OUR EMER STATUS WITH ATC, AND PROCEEDED IN FOR A NORMAL PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. I ALSO BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX OF OUR CURRENT SIT. I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY IN ACFT LOGBOOK. MAINT FOUND AND CORRECTED THE CAUSE FOR THE ABNORMAL GEAR INDICATION, A CEILING PANEL OBSTRUCTING THE ALTERNATE GEAR DOOR HANDLE. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC AND WE CONTINUED ON WITH OUR NORMAL FLT DUTIES. I FEEL THAT OUR LONG DUTY DAY AND LACK OF FOOD AVAILABLE FOR NUTRITION MADE OUR JOB OF IDENTING THE PROB HARDER.

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.