Dash 8 landing gear did not retract after takeoff. Flight crew discovered that the alternate gear do...

Attributes
ACN	784930
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	784930
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On takeoff; gear was selected up and the gear did not retract. We made the decision to return to the field. Received radar vectors for a downwind leg. Approximately 5 mins after takeoff; captain looks above my head and notices the alternate gear extension door is open and closed it. The gear retracts and we continue on to ZZZ. We received the aircraft approximately 5 mins before scheduled departure time after being towed to the spot from maintenance as our scheduled aircraft was on a mechanical. I completed the exterior inspection and moved in to the cockpit and accomplished my normal duties. Somehow I missed the alternate gear extension door above the first officer's head. The door area to the flight deck is a busy place which could have left me feeling rushed. I'm not sure if it was fully open or just not closed all the way as I was not the one who closed it. When the gear didn't retract; I am so used to having maintenance problems with the -400 that it didn't even cross my mind that it could have been caused by me. The location of the door would leave it to never be caught by a crew except for the checklist. Feeling rushed; I try to remember to stay calm and do my checklists methodically and not allow the normal duties of others to distract me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DASH 8 LNDG GEAR DID NOT RETRACT AFTER TKOF. FLT CREW DISCOVERED THAT THE ALTERNATE GEAR DOOR WAS OPEN; PREVENTING THE GEAR FROM RETRACTING.

Narrative: ON TKOF; GEAR WAS SELECTED UP AND THE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WE MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS FOR A DOWNWIND LEG. APPROX 5 MINS AFTER TKOF; CAPT LOOKS ABOVE MY HEAD AND NOTICES THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION DOOR IS OPEN AND CLOSED IT. THE GEAR RETRACTS AND WE CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ. WE RECEIVED THE ACFT APPROX 5 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME AFTER BEING TOWED TO THE SPOT FROM MAINT AS OUR SCHEDULED ACFT WAS ON A MECHANICAL. I COMPLETED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION AND MOVED IN TO THE COCKPIT AND ACCOMPLISHED MY NORMAL DUTIES. SOMEHOW I MISSED THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION DOOR ABOVE THE FO'S HEAD. THE DOOR AREA TO THE FLT DECK IS A BUSY PLACE WHICH COULD HAVE LEFT ME FEELING RUSHED. I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS FULLY OPEN OR JUST NOT CLOSED ALL THE WAY AS I WAS NOT THE ONE WHO CLOSED IT. WHEN THE GEAR DIDN'T RETRACT; I AM SO USED TO HAVING MAINT PROBS WITH THE -400 THAT IT DIDN'T EVEN CROSS MY MIND THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ME. THE LOCATION OF THE DOOR WOULD LEAVE IT TO NEVER BE CAUGHT BY A CREW EXCEPT FOR THE CHKLIST. FEELING RUSHED; I TRY TO REMEMBER TO STAY CALM AND DO MY CHKLISTS METHODICALLY AND NOT ALLOW THE NORMAL DUTIES OF OTHERS TO DISTRACT ME.

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.

Dash 8 landing gear did not retract after takeoff. Flight crew discovered that the alternate gear door was open; preventing the gear from retracting.