Narrative:

Arrived at gate on time for XA00 departure. Aircraft was taxied to gate from maintenance hangar. While I performed cockpit preparation duties the captain offered to perform the walkaround inspection and borrowed my flashlight to do it. Before start checklist; pushback and engine start were normal. Captain reported 'I've got a pin and a salute...' and taxi to the runway and takeoff were normal. When gear handle was raised both main gear indicated up and locked while the nose gear indicated unsafe accompanied by the obvious noise of open gear doors. The nose gear down and locked indicator pin was flush with the console. Captain cycled gear in attempt to get an up and locked indication. When nose landing gear indicated unsafe we informed tower that we needed a turn to downwind for return and landing and leveled off at 5000 ft. Tower asked if we needed emergency gear and we replied no. I flew a normal approach and landed. We taxied back to the gate and were met by maintenance personnel. After accomplishing engine shutdown checklist maintenance personnel informed us nose landing gear pin had not been pulled. Supplemental information from acn 800654: after takeoff had unsafe nose gear indication. Followed QRH procedures. Elected to land back at ZZZ. Maintenance upon arrival came into the cockpit and said; 'we know.' still not sure what I had; they told me that the pin for the nose gear was inadvertently left in. They were very embarrassed about this and so were we. We should have caught this -- period. I will brief my first officer's on this one. In 23 yrs I've never had this happen. It won't happen again. Supplemental information from acn 800147: I taxied aircraft X to gate. This aircraft was in for OTS maintenance and a service check. During the walkaround I failed to see the nose gear pin installed. I will ensure that the gear pins are removed during my post taxi walkaround check. Supplemental information from acn 800148: at XV30 am removed 2 main gear pins walked to forward gear and visually checked for nose gear pin with flashlight and found no streamer or gear pin in place. Went to F/D to place 2 main pins in pouch and found nose gear pin and by-pass pin in pouch; then placed the 2 main gear pins in pouch also. Signed logbook; 'remove gear pins and stowed in pouch on F/D.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ACFT RETURNED TO FIELD AFTER TKOF DUE TO NOSE GEAR FAILING TO RETRACT. CAPTAIN AND TWO MECHANICS WHO DID WALKAROUNDS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE DID NOT NOTICE GEAR PIN; WITHOUT A STREAMER; STILL INSTALLED.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT GATE ON TIME FOR XA00 DEP. ACFT WAS TAXIED TO GATE FROM MAINT HANGAR. WHILE I PERFORMED COCKPIT PREPARATION DUTIES THE CAPT OFFERED TO PERFORM THE WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND BORROWED MY FLASHLIGHT TO DO IT. BEFORE START CHKLIST; PUSHBACK AND ENG START WERE NORMAL. CAPT RPTED 'I'VE GOT A PIN AND A SALUTE...' AND TAXI TO THE RWY AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. WHEN GEAR HANDLE WAS RAISED BOTH MAIN GEAR INDICATED UP AND LOCKED WHILE THE NOSE GEAR INDICATED UNSAFE ACCOMPANIED BY THE OBVIOUS NOISE OF OPEN GEAR DOORS. THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR PIN WAS FLUSH WITH THE CONSOLE. CAPT CYCLED GEAR IN ATTEMPT TO GET AN UP AND LOCKED INDICATION. WHEN NOSE LNDG GEAR INDICATED UNSAFE WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE NEEDED A TURN TO DOWNWIND FOR RETURN AND LNDG AND LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT. TWR ASKED IF WE NEEDED EMER GEAR AND WE REPLIED NO. I FLEW A NORMAL APCH AND LANDED. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND WERE MET BY MAINT PERSONNEL. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST MAINT PERSONNEL INFORMED US NOSE LNDG GEAR PIN HAD NOT BEEN PULLED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 800654: AFTER TKOF HAD UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION. FOLLOWED QRH PROCS. ELECTED TO LAND BACK AT ZZZ. MAINT UPON ARR CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAID; 'WE KNOW.' STILL NOT SURE WHAT I HAD; THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PIN FOR THE NOSE GEAR WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN. THEY WERE VERY EMBARRASSED ABOUT THIS AND SO WERE WE. WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS -- PERIOD. I WILL BRIEF MY FO'S ON THIS ONE. IN 23 YRS I'VE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 800147: I TAXIED ACFT X TO GATE. THIS ACFT WAS IN FOR OTS MAINT AND A SVC CHK. DURING THE WALKAROUND I FAILED TO SEE THE NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. I WILL ENSURE THAT THE GEAR PINS ARE REMOVED DURING MY POST TAXI WALKAROUND CHK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 800148: AT XV30 AM REMOVED 2 MAIN GEAR PINS WALKED TO FORWARD GEAR AND VISUALLY CHKED FOR NOSE GEAR PIN WITH FLASHLIGHT AND FOUND NO STREAMER OR GEAR PIN IN PLACE. WENT TO F/D TO PLACE 2 MAIN PINS IN POUCH AND FOUND NOSE GEAR PIN AND BY-PASS PIN IN POUCH; THEN PLACED THE 2 MAIN GEAR PINS IN POUCH ALSO. SIGNED LOGBOOK; 'REMOVE GEAR PINS AND STOWED IN POUCH ON F/D.

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.