Narrative:

Upon arriving to the aircraft in the morning the outside air temperature was -15 degrees C. The aircraft was pwred down and cold. After starting the APU we warmed up the cabin and cockpit but altitude alerter; altimeter setting and overspd would not work due to the cold. After the aircraft warmed up all aircraft system worked normally and we pushed back; got type 1 fluid for frost removal and began our taxi to runway 36. After takeoff and with a positive rate the gear was called up. The mains went into transition but the nose remained down and locked. This gave us a 'gear disagree' message. We cycled the gear with the same result and left the gear in the down position; which extinguished the message. At this time both the first officer and I feared a gear pin may still be in the gear; but upon inspection of the gear pin rack; all pins were stowed. We contacted tower about a return for landing and that we needed to burn off some fuel to not land overweight. We were then told to hold over the ovr VOR. We entered the hold and at this time looked at the QRH for gear disagree even though all 3 were down and locked and we showed 3 green and message was gone. We did the pump portion of the QRH but after consulting maintenance decided that pulling the manual release handle was unnecessary with 3 green. We called for crash fire rescue equipment to be waiting as a precaution and asked to return to the airport for landing. The landing was uneventful. It is both the first officer and my opinion that the extreme cold may have led to this problem and if the aircraft had been heated prior to our arrival nothing would have happened. Maintenance found that the nose strut would not extend causing the weight on wheels switch to think the nose gear was still on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW HAD A LNDG GEAR MALFUNCTION ON TKOF.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING TO THE ACFT IN THE MORNING THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -15 DEGS C. THE ACFT WAS PWRED DOWN AND COLD. AFTER STARTING THE APU WE WARMED UP THE CABIN AND COCKPIT BUT ALT ALERTER; ALTIMETER SETTING AND OVERSPD WOULD NOT WORK DUE TO THE COLD. AFTER THE ACFT WARMED UP ALL ACFT SYS WORKED NORMALLY AND WE PUSHED BACK; GOT TYPE 1 FLUID FOR FROST REMOVAL AND BEGAN OUR TAXI TO RWY 36. AFTER TKOF AND WITH A POSITIVE RATE THE GEAR WAS CALLED UP. THE MAINS WENT INTO TRANSITION BUT THE NOSE REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED. THIS GAVE US A 'GEAR DISAGREE' MESSAGE. WE CYCLED THE GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULT AND LEFT THE GEAR IN THE DOWN POS; WHICH EXTINGUISHED THE MESSAGE. AT THIS TIME BOTH THE FO AND I FEARED A GEAR PIN MAY STILL BE IN THE GEAR; BUT UPON INSPECTION OF THE GEAR PIN RACK; ALL PINS WERE STOWED. WE CONTACTED TWR ABOUT A RETURN FOR LNDG AND THAT WE NEEDED TO BURN OFF SOME FUEL TO NOT LAND OVERWT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO HOLD OVER THE OVR VOR. WE ENTERED THE HOLD AND AT THIS TIME LOOKED AT THE QRH FOR GEAR DISAGREE EVEN THOUGH ALL 3 WERE DOWN AND LOCKED AND WE SHOWED 3 GREEN AND MESSAGE WAS GONE. WE DID THE PUMP PORTION OF THE QRH BUT AFTER CONSULTING MAINT DECIDED THAT PULLING THE MANUAL RELEASE HANDLE WAS UNNECESSARY WITH 3 GREEN. WE CALLED FOR CFR TO BE WAITING AS A PRECAUTION AND ASKED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT IS BOTH THE FO AND MY OPINION THAT THE EXTREME COLD MAY HAVE LED TO THIS PROB AND IF THE ACFT HAD BEEN HEATED PRIOR TO OUR ARR NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. MAINT FOUND THAT THE NOSE STRUT WOULD NOT EXTEND CAUSING THE WT ON WHEELS SWITCH TO THINK THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL ON THE GND.

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.