Narrative:

We had flown this airplane on 2 legs without incident prior to departing ZZZ en route to ZZZ1. After climbing through 10000 ft; the first officer and I observed the nose gear light to be illuminated red when it should have been off. Consulting the QRH; the procedure was to slow the aircraft to 230 KTS; lower the gear and then retract it again. The gear was lowered and retracted but the light was still illuminated red. I felt that it would not be prudent to try to continue to climb to altitude and continue to ZZZ1 with this condition and since the aircraft was 8000 pounds over maximum landing weight; we elected to burn off the excess fuel and return to ZZZ. We extended the slats and flew at 230 KTS at 15000 ft with a fuel burn of about 11000 pounds/hour. We notified ATC of our situation and our intention to return to ZZZ and requested equipment be standing by. I notified the #1 flight attendant of our situation. I asked her to prepare the cabin and passenger since I felt it was better to be prepared for a possibility rather than surprise everyone in the event something untoward occurred. I made a PA to the passenger informing them of our situation; time to landing; and a brief; non-pilot-terms explanation of what may transpire on touchdown. I did my best to reassure them that while there was cause for concern; there was no cause for alarm. We landed without incident and taxied to the gate where we were met by maintenance personnel. The first question the mechanic asked us was if we had landed overweight. This question was also asked twice more over the radio. Maintenance personnel seemed greatly relieved to learn we had not made an overweight landing. The mechanic told us that the airplane was being taken OTS and would be going to the hangar and that we needed to make an entry in the logbook stating that we did not land overweight. I would like to note that I never saw this mechanic look at the nose area of our aircraft to see what the problem might be; he simply took the airplane OTS on my write-up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the cause of the nose landing gear to fail to retract is unknown as maintenance has made no contact with the flight crew on the action taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLB AT 10000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN THIS AIRPLANE ON 2 LEGS WITHOUT INCIDENT PRIOR TO DEPARTING ZZZ ENRTE TO ZZZ1. AFTER CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT; THE FO AND I OBSERVED THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT TO BE ILLUMINATED RED WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF. CONSULTING THE QRH; THE PROC WAS TO SLOW THE ACFT TO 230 KTS; LOWER THE GEAR AND THEN RETRACT IT AGAIN. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND RETRACTED BUT THE LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED RED. I FELT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PRUDENT TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO CLB TO ALT AND CONTINUE TO ZZZ1 WITH THIS CONDITION AND SINCE THE ACFT WAS 8000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT; WE ELECTED TO BURN OFF THE EXCESS FUEL AND RETURN TO ZZZ. WE EXTENDED THE SLATS AND FLEW AT 230 KTS AT 15000 FT WITH A FUEL BURN OF ABOUT 11000 LBS/HR. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR SITUATION AND OUR INTENTION TO RETURN TO ZZZ AND REQUESTED EQUIP BE STANDING BY. I NOTIFIED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT OF OUR SITUATION. I ASKED HER TO PREPARE THE CABIN AND PAX SINCE I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO BE PREPARED FOR A POSSIBILITY RATHER THAN SURPRISE EVERYONE IN THE EVENT SOMETHING UNTOWARD OCCURRED. I MADE A PA TO THE PAX INFORMING THEM OF OUR SITUATION; TIME TO LNDG; AND A BRIEF; NON-PLT-TERMS EXPLANATION OF WHAT MAY TRANSPIRE ON TOUCHDOWN. I DID MY BEST TO REASSURE THEM THAT WHILE THERE WAS CAUSE FOR CONCERN; THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY MAINT PERSONNEL. THE FIRST QUESTION THE MECH ASKED US WAS IF WE HAD LANDED OVERWT. THIS QUESTION WAS ALSO ASKED TWICE MORE OVER THE RADIO. MAINT PERSONNEL SEEMED GREATLY RELIEVED TO LEARN WE HAD NOT MADE AN OVERWT LNDG. THE MECH TOLD US THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING TAKEN OTS AND WOULD BE GOING TO THE HANGAR AND THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE AN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK STATING THAT WE DID NOT LAND OVERWT. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT I NEVER SAW THIS MECH LOOK AT THE NOSE AREA OF OUR ACFT TO SEE WHAT THE PROB MIGHT BE; HE SIMPLY TOOK THE AIRPLANE OTS ON MY WRITE-UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAUSE OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR TO FAIL TO RETRACT IS UNKNOWN AS MAINT HAS MADE NO CONTACT WITH THE FLT CREW ON THE ACTION TAKEN.

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.