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An A320 made return to the field due to unable to retract the nose gear. Found nose gear pinned for towing. Caused by procedure change.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 656418 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200505 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll ground : maintenance |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| Experience | maintenance lead technician : 2.5 maintenance technician : 26 |
| ASRS Report | 656418 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : briefing contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : installation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Company Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Chart Or Publication |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Towing Procedures |
Narrative:
On may/mon/05 I was assigned to move air carrier X's aircraft. When I went to hook up the tow bar; I noticed that there had been a repair and one of the pins had been lanyarded to the bar. The pin looked like the one we had used for pinning the down lock on the nose gear. I assumed that there had been a change in aircraft's parts and a different pin had been used. After pinning the nose steering bypass; there was 1 pin left on the tow bar. It fit in the hole and I thought a change had been made on the pin. Air carrier X's procedures used by maintenance manual required that maintenance pin the nose gear down lock prior to towing and dispatch of the airplane. I towed the airplane to a remote parking spot and another shift worked the airplane and a third moved the airplane back to the dispatch gate. Aircraft took off with gear pin installed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 MADE RETURN TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR. FOUND NOSE GEAR PINNED FOR TOWING. CAUSED BY PROC CHANGE.
Narrative: ON MAY/MON/05 I WAS ASSIGNED TO MOVE ACR X'S ACFT. WHEN I WENT TO HOOK UP THE TOW BAR; I NOTICED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A REPAIR AND ONE OF THE PINS HAD BEEN LANYARDED TO THE BAR. THE PIN LOOKED LIKE THE ONE WE HAD USED FOR PINNING THE DOWN LOCK ON THE NOSE GEAR. I ASSUMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CHANGE IN ACFT'S PARTS AND A DIFFERENT PIN HAD BEEN USED. AFTER PINNING THE NOSE STEERING BYPASS; THERE WAS 1 PIN LEFT ON THE TOW BAR. IT FIT IN THE HOLE AND I THOUGHT A CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE ON THE PIN. ACR X'S PROCS USED BY MAINT MANUAL REQUIRED THAT MAINT PIN THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK PRIOR TO TOWING AND DISPATCH OF THE AIRPLANE. I TOWED THE AIRPLANE TO A REMOTE PARKING SPOT AND ANOTHER SHIFT WORKED THE AIRPLANE AND A THIRD MOVED THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE DISPATCH GATE. ACFT TOOK OFF WITH GEAR PIN INSTALLED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.