Narrative:

Aircraft was deferred under cdl. Main gear door removed (pilot below 250 KTS and FL350). Maintenance had done extensive repairs to the left main after a landing with punctures. All looked ok during preflight (less missing left main gear door). Cdl was briefed. A normal takeoff was performed. Gear selected up at about 800 ft AGL we got a triple chime and gear disagree. Red; green; green. ATC was notified. We'd like to stay at 6000 ft 200 KTS and not leave the area. We got vectors. I wanted to talk to maintenance so I xferred controls to the first officer; read the QRH and performed step #1: hydraulic 3B and 2 on. Briefed maintenance who told me to complete the QRH and return with dispatch ok. Dispatch agreed and an actual landing distance was received. I briefed the flight attendant/PA of the indication (gear seemed to be up) and the return and that the gear will soon drop. After the gear dropped I made another PA letting the flight attendant/passenger know we have a good indication. An emergency was declared. Uneventful landing and taxi in. No regulations or procedures were broken to my knowledge!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A MAIN GEAR DOOR REMOVED. GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER TKOF; SO AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLT RETURNED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DEFERRED UNDER CDL. MAIN GEAR DOOR REMOVED (PLT BELOW 250 KTS AND FL350). MAINT HAD DONE EXTENSIVE REPAIRS TO THE L MAIN AFTER A LNDG WITH PUNCTURES. ALL LOOKED OK DURING PREFLT (LESS MISSING L MAIN GEAR DOOR). CDL WAS BRIEFED. A NORMAL TKOF WAS PERFORMED. GEAR SELECTED UP AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL WE GOT A TRIPLE CHIME AND GEAR DISAGREE. RED; GREEN; GREEN. ATC WAS NOTIFIED. WE'D LIKE TO STAY AT 6000 FT 200 KTS AND NOT LEAVE THE AREA. WE GOT VECTORS. I WANTED TO TALK TO MAINT SO I XFERRED CTLS TO THE FO; READ THE QRH AND PERFORMED STEP #1: HYD 3B AND 2 ON. BRIEFED MAINT WHO TOLD ME TO COMPLETE THE QRH AND RETURN WITH DISPATCH OK. DISPATCH AGREED AND AN ACTUAL LNDG DISTANCE WAS RECEIVED. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANT/PA OF THE INDICATION (GEAR SEEMED TO BE UP) AND THE RETURN AND THAT THE GEAR WILL SOON DROP. AFTER THE GEAR DROPPED I MADE ANOTHER PA LETTING THE FLT ATTENDANT/PAX KNOW WE HAVE A GOOD INDICATION. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI IN. NO REGS OR PROCS WERE BROKEN TO MY KNOWLEDGE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.