Narrative:

As the PF; I made the takeoff. At a positive rate of climb; I commanded; 'landing gear up.' the first officer moved the gear lever to the neutral position only and said he was having trouble getting the gear up. I glanced over and saw 3 red and 3 green landing gear lights. About the same time he moved the gear handle to the up position and the gear retracted normally. He stated that he had had to pull the landing gear lever override trigger to get the gear handle up. Since all indications were normal at this point and it was a very busy/dynamic phase of flight; I decided to continue to fly a normal departure and get away from the busy airport traffic area before we referenced the QRH. The first officer then reviewed the appropriate checklist on page x-x of the QRH; noted that it was complete and advised that it directed contact with dispatch about a possible return to ZZZ. Control of the aircraft was transferred while I reviewed the QRH myself. We did initiate a radio patch with dispatch and advised them of our non-normal landing gear retraction. We asked that they contact maintenance for any possible ideas or suggestions. Mx asked that we cycle the gear again to see if the gear required another override to retract. This was done and once again; the gear did not retract normally. At that point dispatch directed us to return to ZZZ at the request of mx control. We initiated a return to ZZZ. After we had committed to the return; we found that the lg latch and press warn circuit breaker was out. Since the return flight had been initiated and we weren't certain of the cause of the popped circuit breaker; we went ahead with an uneventful arrival and landing in ZZZ. An appropriate logbook entry was made with the above facts. I think that any QRH item that may have been caused by a tripped circuit breaker should direct you to check that specific circuit breaker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 CAPT RPTS DIFFICULTY RETRACTING LNDG GEAR AFTER TKOF. QRH PROC FAILS TO DIRECT CREW TO CHK CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT IF CHKED MIGHT SOLVE THE PROB.

Narrative: AS THE PF; I MADE THE TAKEOFF. AT A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB; I COMMANDED; 'LANDING GEAR UP.' THE FO MOVED THE GEAR LEVER TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION ONLY AND SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE GEAR UP. I GLANCED OVER AND SAW 3 RED AND 3 GREEN LANDING GEAR LIGHTS. ABOUT THE SAME TIME HE MOVED THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE UP POSITION AND THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY. HE STATED THAT HE HAD HAD TO PULL THE LANDING GEAR LEVER OVERRIDE TRIGGER TO GET THE GEAR HANDLE UP. SINCE ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AT THIS POINT AND IT WAS A VERY BUSY/DYNAMIC PHASE OF FLIGHT; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO FLY A NORMAL DEPARTURE AND GET AWAY FROM THE BUSY AIRPORT TRAFFIC AREA BEFORE WE REFERENCED THE QRH. THE FO THEN REVIEWED THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLIST ON PAGE X-X OF THE QRH; NOTED THAT IT WAS COMPLETE AND ADVISED THAT IT DIRECTED CONTACT WITH DISPATCH ABOUT A POSSIBLE RETURN TO ZZZ. CONTROL OF THE ACFT WAS TRANSFERRED WHILE I REVIEWED THE QRH MYSELF. WE DID INITIATE A RADIO PATCH WITH DISPATCH AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR NON-NORMAL LANDING GEAR RETRACTION. WE ASKED THAT THEY CONTACT MAINTENANCE FOR ANY POSSIBLE IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS. MX ASKED THAT WE CYCLE THE GEAR AGAIN TO SEE IF THE GEAR REQUIRED ANOTHER OVERRIDE TO RETRACT. THIS WAS DONE AND ONCE AGAIN; THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT NORMALLY. AT THAT POINT DISPATCH DIRECTED US TO RETURN TO ZZZ AT THE REQUEST OF MX CONTROL. WE INITIATED A RETURN TO ZZZ. AFTER WE HAD COMMITTED TO THE RETURN; WE FOUND THAT THE LG LATCH AND PRESS WARN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS OUT. SINCE THE RETURN FLIGHT HAD BEEN INITIATED AND WE WEREN'T CERTAIN OF THE CAUSE OF THE POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER; WE WENT AHEAD WITH AN UNEVENTFUL ARRIVAL AND LANDING IN ZZZ. AN APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE WITH THE ABOVE FACTS. I THINK THAT ANY QRH ITEM THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER SHOULD DIRECT YOU TO CHECK THAT SPECIFIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

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.