Narrative:

Departed on early morning originator. The first officer selected the gear up with positive rate and almost immediately we received a gear disagree message. We continued climb to 4000 ft while completing the after takeoff checklist. We then completed the gear disagree checklist and did an air return without incident. The event occurred because the crew did not complete the preflight actions to standard after rushing to catch up from a late van ride to the airport. We showed at about 15 mins prior to departure. The first officer missed the gear pin flags on preflight in the dark. I did see him leave the flight deck with his flashlight. After the first officer's preflight was complete; he started programming the FMS. He asked me if I had checked the gear pins. I answered no and he said he would go check. I told him to continue programming and I would check since my preflight items were completed. I checked the gear compartment and saw it full of gear flags and pins; and thought that all the pins were there. I; apparently; saw what I was expecting to see instead of what was really there. The only pin and flag was from the air driven generator. The crew was late because I was late showing downstairs. My wake-up call came at our requested van time instead of the requested wake-up call time. Only one of the flight attendants received a wake-up call. She had double-checked with the desk and was told she had a wakeup at our van time. She told the desk to check all our wakeups because the front desk probably had messed all our calls up. I had also set the room alarm clock which didn't work either. I called the front desk and they said the van had already left with the rest of the crew and the next van would leave in 30 mins. I thought this was a good alternative so the plane would be preflted; boarded and ready to go. As I was getting out of the shower; someone from the front desk knocked on my door and said the van with my crew was waiting for me. My first officer had called crew scheduling and they directed the rest of the crew to wait for me.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LATE ARRIVAL AT ARPT FOR EARLY DEPARTURE; FLT CREW OVERLOOKS GEAR PINS ON PREFLIGHT AND MUST RETURN WHEN GEAR WILL NOT RETRACT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ON EARLY MORNING ORIGINATOR. THE FO SELECTED THE GEAR UP WITH POSITIVE RATE AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WE RECEIVED A GEAR DISAGREE MESSAGE. WE CONTINUED CLB TO 4000 FT WHILE COMPLETING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST. WE THEN COMPLETED THE GEAR DISAGREE CHKLIST AND DID AN AIR RETURN WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CREW DID NOT COMPLETE THE PREFLT ACTIONS TO STANDARD AFTER RUSHING TO CATCH UP FROM A LATE VAN RIDE TO THE ARPT. WE SHOWED AT ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. THE FO MISSED THE GEAR PIN FLAGS ON PREFLT IN THE DARK. I DID SEE HIM LEAVE THE FLT DECK WITH HIS FLASHLIGHT. AFTER THE FO'S PREFLT WAS COMPLETE; HE STARTED PROGRAMMING THE FMS. HE ASKED ME IF I HAD CHKED THE GEAR PINS. I ANSWERED NO AND HE SAID HE WOULD GO CHK. I TOLD HIM TO CONTINUE PROGRAMMING AND I WOULD CHK SINCE MY PREFLT ITEMS WERE COMPLETED. I CHKED THE GEAR COMPARTMENT AND SAW IT FULL OF GEAR FLAGS AND PINS; AND THOUGHT THAT ALL THE PINS WERE THERE. I; APPARENTLY; SAW WHAT I WAS EXPECTING TO SEE INSTEAD OF WHAT WAS REALLY THERE. THE ONLY PIN AND FLAG WAS FROM THE ADG. THE CREW WAS LATE BECAUSE I WAS LATE SHOWING DOWNSTAIRS. MY WAKE-UP CALL CAME AT OUR REQUESTED VAN TIME INSTEAD OF THE REQUESTED WAKE-UP CALL TIME. ONLY ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS RECEIVED A WAKE-UP CALL. SHE HAD DOUBLE-CHKED WITH THE DESK AND WAS TOLD SHE HAD A WAKEUP AT OUR VAN TIME. SHE TOLD THE DESK TO CHK ALL OUR WAKEUPS BECAUSE THE FRONT DESK PROBABLY HAD MESSED ALL OUR CALLS UP. I HAD ALSO SET THE ROOM ALARM CLOCK WHICH DIDN'T WORK EITHER. I CALLED THE FRONT DESK AND THEY SAID THE VAN HAD ALREADY LEFT WITH THE REST OF THE CREW AND THE NEXT VAN WOULD LEAVE IN 30 MINS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD ALTERNATIVE SO THE PLANE WOULD BE PREFLTED; BOARDED AND READY TO GO. AS I WAS GETTING OUT OF THE SHOWER; SOMEONE FROM THE FRONT DESK KNOCKED ON MY DOOR AND SAID THE VAN WITH MY CREW WAS WAITING FOR ME. MY FO HAD CALLED CREW SCHEDULING AND THEY DIRECTED THE REST OF THE CREW TO WAIT FOR 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.