Landing gear door positioned improperly by airline maintenance.

Attributes
ACN	87619
Time
Date	198805
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bil
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000
ASRS Report	87619
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon receiving aircraft for first flight of the day a normal preflight inspection was conducted by the first officer. First officer noticed maintenance was working on the right/H. Main landing gear brake fan. Passenger were boarded and maintenance advised myself that they were going to MEL the brake fan. The logbook was signed and aircraft released from maintenance. Everything was normal until the gear was selected up after takeoff. The right/H gear (red light) not in position selected light remained on. The abnormal checklist was consulted and crew elected to return to the field. Aircraft returned to the gate where maintenance inspected the right/H gear and found that they forgot to secure the gear door in the correct position. The mechanics involved were experienced people who were rushed to get the flight out on time. As the gear was retracted, but the gear door was not, aircraft performance was not significantly effected. However, it is the emphasis to get the flight out on time that may be detracting from the safety and thoroughness of maintenance procedures. To prevent this particular occurrence from happening again I am determined to re-check maintenance's positioning of the gear doors whenever work has occurred on tires or brakes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR DOOR POSITIONED IMPROPERLY BY AIRLINE MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: UPON RECEIVING ACFT FOR FIRST FLT OF THE DAY A NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED BY THE F/O. F/O NOTICED MAINT WAS WORKING ON THE R/H. MAIN LNDG GEAR BRAKE FAN. PAX WERE BOARDED AND MAINT ADVISED MYSELF THAT THEY WERE GOING TO MEL THE BRAKE FAN. THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED AND ACFT RELEASED FROM MAINT. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL THE GEAR WAS SELECTED UP AFTER TKOF. THE R/H GEAR (RED LIGHT) NOT IN POSITION SELECTED LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE ABNORMAL CHECKLIST WAS CONSULTED AND CREW ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD. ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE MAINT INSPECTED THE R/H GEAR AND FOUND THAT THEY FORGOT TO SECURE THE GEAR DOOR IN THE CORRECT POSITION. THE MECHANICS INVOLVED WERE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WHO WERE RUSHED TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME. AS THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, BUT THE GEAR DOOR WAS NOT, ACFT PERFORMANCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTED. HOWEVER, IT IS THE EMPHASIS TO GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME THAT MAY BE DETRACTING FROM THE SAFETY AND THOROUGHNESS OF MAINT PROCEDURES. TO PREVENT THIS PARTICULAR OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I AM DETERMINED TO RE-CHECK MAINT'S POSITIONING OF THE GEAR DOORS WHENEVER WORK HAS OCCURRED ON TIRES OR BRAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.