Narrative:

I was first officer on flight. We were also being observed by an FAA inspector. During the course of our preflight preparation; we noted 2 deferred maintenance items; most notably that the fuel quantity indicator for the right main tank and the totalizer were unusable. I observed the fueler stick the tank and he said he would check the plumb bob to see if we were within the required 1/2 of a degree of level. We received our fuel slip and verified the conversion of the stick readings to pounds of fuel. We finished our checklists and departed. However; after retracting the gear we noticed a lot of noise and vibration. We declared an emergency and landed back at ZZZ. We then found out that the forward nose gear doors had been left open when the fueler had performed the level check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80; AFTER TKOF AND RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR; DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT. FOUND NOSE GEAR DOORS OPEN CAUSING VIBRATION AND NOISE.

Narrative: I WAS FO ON FLT. WE WERE ALSO BEING OBSERVED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR. DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PREFLT PREPARATION; WE NOTED 2 DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS; MOST NOTABLY THAT THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR FOR THE R MAIN TANK AND THE TOTALIZER WERE UNUSABLE. I OBSERVED THE FUELER STICK THE TANK AND HE SAID HE WOULD CHK THE PLUMB BOB TO SEE IF WE WERE WITHIN THE REQUIRED 1/2 OF A DEG OF LEVEL. WE RECEIVED OUR FUEL SLIP AND VERIFIED THE CONVERSION OF THE STICK READINGS TO LBS OF FUEL. WE FINISHED OUR CHKLISTS AND DEPARTED. HOWEVER; AFTER RETRACTING THE GEAR WE NOTICED A LOT OF NOISE AND VIBRATION. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED BACK AT ZZZ. WE THEN FOUND OUT THAT THE FORWARD NOSE GEAR DOORS HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN WHEN THE FUELER HAD PERFORMED THE LEVEL CHK.

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.