Narrative:

Our first attempted takeoff resulted in a high speed abort due to fumes in the cockpit. After completing all the checklists; coordinating with the fire department and maintenance; we returned to the gate. We then proceeded to a new aircraft. The flight was about 3 hours late at this point. I arrived in the cockpit to find a completely unpowered aircraft (no ground power available). I did the cockpit preparation and got the aircraft ready to go. Our departure was delayed a few extra mins while we waited for the flight attendants to be replaced due to a crew duty day issue. We started; taxied and took off without incident up to the point where the captain called for the gear up. When I put the gear handle up; we had 3 green lights and 3 red lights. We referred to the QRH and then put the gear handle back down and got 3 green lights. As this point I realized the gear pins were probably in and in my rush to get the cockpit set up for takeoff and get the flight off the gate as soon as possible; I also realized I had forgotten to do the walkaround. Subsequently we checked and the gear pins were not in their cubby hole. Additionally; we discovered the logbook was annotated (on a previous page) that the gear pins were installed. We referred to the QRH; placed the gear handle down; and obtained a normal 3 green indication. We coordinated with maintenance and company. ATC gave us a low altitude holding pattern south of the field where we went to burn off fuel until we were under maximum landing weight. We then made an uneventful approach and landing. In analyzing how this happened; there were 3 links in this chain which broke; thereby allowing the aircraft to depart with the gear pins installed. Link #1 was maintenance leaving an airplane at the gate with the gear pins installed. Link #2 was the aircraft logbook noted the aircraft had pins installed; but neither the captain or myself noticed the annotation. Link #3 was me not performing the walkaround inspection. I take full responsibility for failing to do a walkaround inspection. I was the last link that could have prevented this event and I failed to do so. In hindsight; I may have still been distraction by the high speed abort which occurred on the first takeoff attempt and was replaying events in my mind to analyze what (if anything) I would have done different and wondering where the fumes came from. There was also the time pressure to get the airplane off the gate as soon as possible. My normal preflight sequence was interrupted by arriving at an unpowered aircraft (no jetway power available) and the inability to start the APU immediately since fueling was in progress. I sat down in my seat waiting for the fuelers to finish and built my nest. I then started the APU and powered the aircraft. Instead of going outside to do my walkaround; I remembered the clearance may have been dropped out of the system by the first attempted takeoff; so I broke my habit pattern and called clearance delivery. Once the clearance issue was squared away; I continued with my cockpit preflight preparations; unaware that I hadn't done the walkaround. 1) in the future; the company may want to consider replacing the crew after a high speed rejected takeoff involving fumes. As much as I would like to believe I could compartmentalize the first high speed abort and put it out of my mind; perhaps it allowed my focus to drift enough to allow other distrs (no gate power; a wait to power up the APU; time pressures; clearance issues) to break a well ingrained habit pattern of doing the walkaround before I situation down in the cockpit and build my nest. 2) at the previous company where I flew the B737; the first item on their before start checklist was 'exterior -- interior flight deck inspection -- completed.' perhaps a change to our checklist would add 1 more link to the chain and prevent it from breaking again. 3) although the maintenance log has a place to annotate gear pins installed and removed; it is not located in such a manner to easily catch your eye. From my military days; if the pins were installed; the aircraft forms were noted with a write-up (like a normal maintenance discrepancy which would then require a corresponding entry in thecorrective action block) and the aircraft was placed on a 'red X' status. That would always catch your eye. Perhaps we could come up with a way which would put 'gear pins installed' more in a pilot's 'normal scan' when reviewing the logbook for open write-ups. It could be as simple as 'gear pins installed' as a discrepancy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR JET REJECTED TKOF DUE TO FUMES IN THE COCKPIT. THE FLT CREW WAS ASSIGNED ANOTHER ACFT; AND THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS OVERLOOKED. THE FLT DEPARTED WITH LNDG GEAR PINS STILL INSTALLED. FLT CREW DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: OUR FIRST ATTEMPTED TKOF RESULTED IN A HIGH SPD ABORT DUE TO FUMES IN THE COCKPIT. AFTER COMPLETING ALL THE CHKLISTS; COORDINATING WITH THE FIRE DEPT AND MAINT; WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO A NEW ACFT. THE FLT WAS ABOUT 3 HRS LATE AT THIS POINT. I ARRIVED IN THE COCKPIT TO FIND A COMPLETELY UNPOWERED ACFT (NO GND PWR AVAILABLE). I DID THE COCKPIT PREPARATION AND GOT THE ACFT READY TO GO. OUR DEP WAS DELAYED A FEW EXTRA MINS WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A CREW DUTY DAY ISSUE. WE STARTED; TAXIED AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE GEAR UP. WHEN I PUT THE GEAR HANDLE UP; WE HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND 3 RED LIGHTS. WE REFERRED TO THE QRH AND THEN PUT THE GEAR HANDLE BACK DOWN AND GOT 3 GREEN LIGHTS. AS THIS POINT I REALIZED THE GEAR PINS WERE PROBABLY IN AND IN MY RUSH TO GET THE COCKPIT SET UP FOR TKOF AND GET THE FLT OFF THE GATE ASAP; I ALSO REALIZED I HAD FORGOTTEN TO DO THE WALKAROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY WE CHKED AND THE GEAR PINS WERE NOT IN THEIR CUBBY HOLE. ADDITIONALLY; WE DISCOVERED THE LOGBOOK WAS ANNOTATED (ON A PREVIOUS PAGE) THAT THE GEAR PINS WERE INSTALLED. WE REFERRED TO THE QRH; PLACED THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN; AND OBTAINED A NORMAL 3 GREEN INDICATION. WE COORDINATED WITH MAINT AND COMPANY. ATC GAVE US A LOW ALT HOLDING PATTERN S OF THE FIELD WHERE WE WENT TO BURN OFF FUEL UNTIL WE WERE UNDER MAX LNDG WT. WE THEN MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. IN ANALYZING HOW THIS HAPPENED; THERE WERE 3 LINKS IN THIS CHAIN WHICH BROKE; THEREBY ALLOWING THE ACFT TO DEPART WITH THE GEAR PINS INSTALLED. LINK #1 WAS MAINT LEAVING AN AIRPLANE AT THE GATE WITH THE GEAR PINS INSTALLED. LINK #2 WAS THE ACFT LOGBOOK NOTED THE ACFT HAD PINS INSTALLED; BUT NEITHER THE CAPT OR MYSELF NOTICED THE ANNOTATION. LINK #3 WAS ME NOT PERFORMING THE WALKAROUND INSPECTION. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILING TO DO A WALKAROUND INSPECTION. I WAS THE LAST LINK THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT AND I FAILED TO DO SO. IN HINDSIGHT; I MAY HAVE STILL BEEN DISTR BY THE HIGH SPD ABORT WHICH OCCURRED ON THE FIRST TKOF ATTEMPT AND WAS REPLAYING EVENTS IN MY MIND TO ANALYZE WHAT (IF ANYTHING) I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT AND WONDERING WHERE THE FUMES CAME FROM. THERE WAS ALSO THE TIME PRESSURE TO GET THE AIRPLANE OFF THE GATE ASAP. MY NORMAL PREFLT SEQUENCE WAS INTERRUPTED BY ARRIVING AT AN UNPOWERED ACFT (NO JETWAY PWR AVAILABLE) AND THE INABILITY TO START THE APU IMMEDIATELY SINCE FUELING WAS IN PROGRESS. I SAT DOWN IN MY SEAT WAITING FOR THE FUELERS TO FINISH AND BUILT MY NEST. I THEN STARTED THE APU AND POWERED THE ACFT. INSTEAD OF GOING OUTSIDE TO DO MY WALKAROUND; I REMEMBERED THE CLRNC MAY HAVE BEEN DROPPED OUT OF THE SYS BY THE FIRST ATTEMPTED TKOF; SO I BROKE MY HABIT PATTERN AND CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY. ONCE THE CLRNC ISSUE WAS SQUARED AWAY; I CONTINUED WITH MY COCKPIT PREFLT PREPARATIONS; UNAWARE THAT I HADN'T DONE THE WALKAROUND. 1) IN THE FUTURE; THE COMPANY MAY WANT TO CONSIDER REPLACING THE CREW AFTER A HIGH SPD REJECTED TKOF INVOLVING FUMES. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE I COULD COMPARTMENTALIZE THE FIRST HIGH SPD ABORT AND PUT IT OUT OF MY MIND; PERHAPS IT ALLOWED MY FOCUS TO DRIFT ENOUGH TO ALLOW OTHER DISTRS (NO GATE PWR; A WAIT TO PWR UP THE APU; TIME PRESSURES; CLRNC ISSUES) TO BREAK A WELL INGRAINED HABIT PATTERN OF DOING THE WALKAROUND BEFORE I SIT DOWN IN THE COCKPIT AND BUILD MY NEST. 2) AT THE PREVIOUS COMPANY WHERE I FLEW THE B737; THE FIRST ITEM ON THEIR BEFORE START CHKLIST WAS 'EXTERIOR -- INTERIOR FLT DECK INSPECTION -- COMPLETED.' PERHAPS A CHANGE TO OUR CHKLIST WOULD ADD 1 MORE LINK TO THE CHAIN AND PREVENT IT FROM BREAKING AGAIN. 3) ALTHOUGH THE MAINT LOG HAS A PLACE TO ANNOTATE GEAR PINS INSTALLED AND REMOVED; IT IS NOT LOCATED IN SUCH A MANNER TO EASILY CATCH YOUR EYE. FROM MY MIL DAYS; IF THE PINS WERE INSTALLED; THE ACFT FORMS WERE NOTED WITH A WRITE-UP (LIKE A NORMAL MAINT DISCREPANCY WHICH WOULD THEN REQUIRE A CORRESPONDING ENTRY IN THECORRECTIVE ACTION BLOCK) AND THE ACFT WAS PLACED ON A 'RED X' STATUS. THAT WOULD ALWAYS CATCH YOUR EYE. PERHAPS WE COULD COME UP WITH A WAY WHICH WOULD PUT 'GEAR PINS INSTALLED' MORE IN A PLT'S 'NORMAL SCAN' WHEN REVIEWING THE LOGBOOK FOR OPEN WRITE-UPS. IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS 'GEAR PINS INSTALLED' AS A DISCREPANCY.

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.