Narrative:

Our DC9 blocked in at XA30 this morning; jul/wed/05. Upon arrival of our DC9; my partner and I proceeded to the aircraft. I began my walkaround on the l-hand side of the aircraft as my partner proceeded to give the fueler our fuel order of 21600 pounds. During my walkaround; I found the nose gear down lock spotlight to be in need of replacement. I continued with my walkaround and met up with my partner as he was doing the walkaround on the r-hand side of the aircraft after debriefing the flight crew. He informed me that the aircraft blocked in clean and I let him know about the nose gear down lock light requiring replacement. We completed the walkaround and returned to the office as the ground crew unloaded the freight. I returned to the aircraft with the replacement light and went up to the cockpit to retrieve the gear pin. I installed the gear pin in the nose gear working with the understanding that while maintenance was being done in the nose gear wheel well it had to be installed. After installing the light; I came out of the wheel well to operations check it and found that we had a bad bulb from stock. I went back in and retrieved another light and replaced it for a second time. Going out to operations check this light; a member of the ground crew informed me that they were having problems with the belt loader. After getting the belt loader up and running; approximately 7 mins later in order to prevent a load delay; I began working the belt loader. I operations checked the down lock spotlight good; and I closed the nose gear doors; failing to remove the pin. I did not see the streamer due to the darkness of the area. I then returned to the office to check on the flight crew. Flight crew left the office and our DC9 departed at XB05. Our DC9 returned after an in-flight turnaround at XB20; at which time I said 'oh my god; the gear pin.' at which point my partner discovered I had installed the pin during maintenance. I then went out to remove the pin from the nose gear and boarded the aircraft. At this time my partner was contacting maintenance control. I informed the flight crew that I had forgotten to remove the pin and that I had rectified my mistake and placed the pin in the cockpit. My partner asked me to retrieve the logbook so that we could make the logbook entry. I brought the logbook to the office and my partner suggested that I make an entry stating that I had replaced the down lock light to explain why I had installed the gear pin. I then made the log entry about the in-flight turnaround due to the nose gear not retracting; and its cause. At this time the flight crew entered the office and the captain had some questions as to the way we had made the entries. My partner told him that it was to explain the reason for the gear pin being installed. The captain still had problems with this and contacted his chief pilot for clarification. After the chief pilot and maintenance control discussed the situation for some time; it was agreed to accept the logbook entry and continue on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. FOUND GEAR PIN INSTALLED BY TECHNICIAN WHEN REPLACING GEAR SPOTLIGHT.

Narrative: OUR DC9 BLOCKED IN AT XA30 THIS MORNING; JUL/WED/05. UPON ARR OF OUR DC9; MY PARTNER AND I PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT. I BEGAN MY WALKAROUND ON THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE ACFT AS MY PARTNER PROCEEDED TO GIVE THE FUELER OUR FUEL ORDER OF 21600 LBS. DURING MY WALKAROUND; I FOUND THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK SPOTLIGHT TO BE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. I CONTINUED WITH MY WALKAROUND AND MET UP WITH MY PARTNER AS HE WAS DOING THE WALKAROUND ON THE R-HAND SIDE OF THE ACFT AFTER DEBRIEFING THE FLT CREW. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT BLOCKED IN CLEAN AND I LET HIM KNOW ABOUT THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK LIGHT REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. WE COMPLETED THE WALKAROUND AND RETURNED TO THE OFFICE AS THE GND CREW UNLOADED THE FREIGHT. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT WITH THE REPLACEMENT LIGHT AND WENT UP TO THE COCKPIT TO RETRIEVE THE GEAR PIN. I INSTALLED THE GEAR PIN IN THE NOSE GEAR WORKING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHILE MAINT WAS BEING DONE IN THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL IT HAD TO BE INSTALLED. AFTER INSTALLING THE LIGHT; I CAME OUT OF THE WHEEL WELL TO OPS CHK IT AND FOUND THAT WE HAD A BAD BULB FROM STOCK. I WENT BACK IN AND RETRIEVED ANOTHER LIGHT AND REPLACED IT FOR A SECOND TIME. GOING OUT TO OPS CHK THIS LIGHT; A MEMBER OF THE GND CREW INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBS WITH THE BELT LOADER. AFTER GETTING THE BELT LOADER UP AND RUNNING; APPROX 7 MINS LATER IN ORDER TO PREVENT A LOAD DELAY; I BEGAN WORKING THE BELT LOADER. I OPS CHKED THE DOWN LOCK SPOTLIGHT GOOD; AND I CLOSED THE NOSE GEAR DOORS; FAILING TO REMOVE THE PIN. I DID NOT SEE THE STREAMER DUE TO THE DARKNESS OF THE AREA. I THEN RETURNED TO THE OFFICE TO CHK ON THE FLT CREW. FLT CREW LEFT THE OFFICE AND OUR DC9 DEPARTED AT XB05. OUR DC9 RETURNED AFTER AN INFLT TURNAROUND AT XB20; AT WHICH TIME I SAID 'OH MY GOD; THE GEAR PIN.' AT WHICH POINT MY PARTNER DISCOVERED I HAD INSTALLED THE PIN DURING MAINT. I THEN WENT OUT TO REMOVE THE PIN FROM THE NOSE GEAR AND BOARDED THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME MY PARTNER WAS CONTACTING MAINT CTL. I INFORMED THE FLT CREW THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO REMOVE THE PIN AND THAT I HAD RECTIFIED MY MISTAKE AND PLACED THE PIN IN THE COCKPIT. MY PARTNER ASKED ME TO RETRIEVE THE LOGBOOK SO THAT WE COULD MAKE THE LOGBOOK ENTRY. I BROUGHT THE LOGBOOK TO THE OFFICE AND MY PARTNER SUGGESTED THAT I MAKE AN ENTRY STATING THAT I HAD REPLACED THE DOWN LOCK LIGHT TO EXPLAIN WHY I HAD INSTALLED THE GEAR PIN. I THEN MADE THE LOG ENTRY ABOUT THE INFLT TURNAROUND DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR NOT RETRACTING; AND ITS CAUSE. AT THIS TIME THE FLT CREW ENTERED THE OFFICE AND THE CAPT HAD SOME QUESTIONS AS TO THE WAY WE HAD MADE THE ENTRIES. MY PARTNER TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS TO EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR THE GEAR PIN BEING INSTALLED. THE CAPT STILL HAD PROBS WITH THIS AND CONTACTED HIS CHIEF PLT FOR CLARIFICATION. AFTER THE CHIEF PLT AND MAINT CTL DISCUSSED THE SITUATION FOR SOME TIME; IT WAS AGREED TO ACCEPT THE LOGBOOK ENTRY AND CONTINUE ON.

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.