Narrative:

The event occurred because of a landing gear malfunction. After taking off; we had an ECAM warning after we raised the landing gear: landing gear shock absorber and landing gear doors not closed. The nose gear indication above the landing gear handle was showing red. We followed the ECAM; which called for cycling the landing gear handle. Once the gear was 'down and 3 green' (no red indications remained); we noticed there was still an ECAM message 'lg not uplocked.' based upon this remaining message; I elected not to raise the gear again as there was a minor question now about the landing gear system. I would rather have a solid '3 green' indication than try and raise the gear and possibly create further problems. I continued flying and took over ATC radio communications while the first officer called company maintenance. We decided to return to the field. I declared an emergency with ATC; and had them roll all available emergency equipment. Based upon our conversations with maintenance; the first officer and I decided the landing gear was safe. The first officer briefed the flight attendants for a precautionary landing and advised company we were declaring an emergency. We consulted the QRH and completed the precautionary landing checklist. We were vectored to runway; and made an uneventful landing. We had the fire trucks inspect the aircraft after we were on the taxiway; and they reported nothing abnormal. ECAM messages; great wind noise upon initial gear retraction; increased heart-beat rate (not scientifically or medically measured). No earth-shaking suggestions; just that I could have done a fly-by to ensure nothing was wrong with the landing gear. I elected not to because we had good landing gear indications; and I felt a low pass at night (which I have no experience in) might just provide more opportunity for error. In addition; with concurrence from maintenance; I felt that the 'lg not uplocked' ECAM message was spurious as we had 3 mechanical 'down; 3 green' indications confirming the gear in normal position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF AN A320 CREW WITH ECAM WARNINGS 'LG SHOCK ABSORBER' AND 'LG DOORS NOT CLOSED' DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND.

Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A LNDG GEAR MALFUNCTION. AFTER TAKING OFF; WE HAD AN ECAM WARNING AFTER WE RAISED THE LNDG GEAR: LNDG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER AND LNDG GEAR DOORS NOT CLOSED. THE NOSE GEAR INDICATION ABOVE THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE WAS SHOWING RED. WE FOLLOWED THE ECAM; WHICH CALLED FOR CYCLING THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE. ONCE THE GEAR WAS 'DOWN AND 3 GREEN' (NO RED INDICATIONS REMAINED); WE NOTICED THERE WAS STILL AN ECAM MESSAGE 'LG NOT UPLOCKED.' BASED UPON THIS REMAINING MESSAGE; I ELECTED NOT TO RAISE THE GEAR AGAIN AS THERE WAS A MINOR QUESTION NOW ABOUT THE LNDG GEAR SYS. I WOULD RATHER HAVE A SOLID '3 GREEN' INDICATION THAN TRY AND RAISE THE GEAR AND POSSIBLY CREATE FURTHER PROBS. I CONTINUED FLYING AND TOOK OVER ATC RADIO COMS WHILE THE FO CALLED COMPANY MAINT. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC; AND HAD THEM ROLL ALL AVAILABLE EMER EQUIP. BASED UPON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH MAINT; THE FO AND I DECIDED THE LNDG GEAR WAS SAFE. THE FO BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AND ADVISED COMPANY WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. WE CONSULTED THE QRH AND COMPLETED THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG CHKLIST. WE WERE VECTORED TO RWY; AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WE HAD THE FIRE TRUCKS INSPECT THE ACFT AFTER WE WERE ON THE TXWY; AND THEY RPTED NOTHING ABNORMAL. ECAM MESSAGES; GREAT WIND NOISE UPON INITIAL GEAR RETRACTION; INCREASED HEART-BEAT RATE (NOT SCIENTIFICALLY OR MEDICALLY MEASURED). NO EARTH-SHAKING SUGGESTIONS; JUST THAT I COULD HAVE DONE A FLY-BY TO ENSURE NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE LNDG GEAR. I ELECTED NOT TO BECAUSE WE HAD GOOD LNDG GEAR INDICATIONS; AND I FELT A LOW PASS AT NIGHT (WHICH I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN) MIGHT JUST PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR ERROR. IN ADDITION; WITH CONCURRENCE FROM MAINT; I FELT THAT THE 'LG NOT UPLOCKED' ECAM MESSAGE WAS SPURIOUS AS WE HAD 3 MECHANICAL 'DOWN; 3 GREEN' INDICATIONS CONFIRMING THE GEAR IN NORMAL POS.

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.