Narrative:

On 10/sun/88 I was second officer on flight. I arrived at the airport at XA00 local for a XB20 departure from gate. As part of my preflight duties I completed a walkaround and found nothing unusual. As part of my walkaround routine I looked for gear pins installed and found none in the nose or main gear. As part of my cockpit preflight inspection I noted that the gear pins were in the retaining bag on the flight deck. There was no log book entry indicating that gear pins had been installed or removed within the previous several days. Upon takeoff the nose gear would not retract showing a red nose gear door light and a green nose gear down and locked light. All pilots concurred that the nose gear was down and locked. An uneventful return and landing was made back to iah. I inspected the nose gear with members of the maintenance team and investigation revealed that a tail skid pin from an X series large transport was installed in the nose gear assembly. (It should be noted that ship was a Y series.) the pin was removed and the flight continued with no further delay. An irregularity report was completed by the captain and turned in on the next arrival. Point of interest: I observed no gear pins installed during the walk around. A tailskid pin from a series was found installed upon return, and red streamer was covered with black grease and concealed by being tucked up on top of the gear strut assembly. All 3 gear pins belonging to ship were on board in the bag. There was no logbook entry in the maintenance log to indicate that the gear pins had been installed at any time for maintenance. The aircraft had been parked on the ramp in iah overnight allowing access to numerous authority/authorized persons. I consider the circumstances surrounding this even to be suspicious. I would recommend tighter security on the ramp at iah.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TKOF WITH NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. UNABLE RAISE NOSE GEAR. RETURN AND LAND.

Narrative: ON 10/SUN/88 I WAS S/O ON FLT. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AT XA00 LCL FOR A XB20 DEP FROM GATE. AS PART OF MY PREFLT DUTIES I COMPLETED A WALKAROUND AND FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL. AS PART OF MY WALKAROUND ROUTINE I LOOKED FOR GEAR PINS INSTALLED AND FOUND NONE IN THE NOSE OR MAIN GEAR. AS PART OF MY COCKPIT PREFLT INSPECTION I NOTED THAT THE GEAR PINS WERE IN THE RETAINING BAG ON THE FLT DECK. THERE WAS NO LOG BOOK ENTRY INDICATING THAT GEAR PINS HAD BEEN INSTALLED OR REMOVED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS SEVERAL DAYS. UPON TKOF THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT SHOWING A RED NOSE GEAR DOOR LIGHT AND A GREEN NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT. ALL PLTS CONCURRED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. AN UNEVENTFUL RETURN AND LNDG WAS MADE BACK TO IAH. I INSPECTED THE NOSE GEAR WITH MEMBERS OF THE MAINT TEAM AND INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A TAIL SKID PIN FROM AN X SERIES LGT WAS INSTALLED IN THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY. (IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SHIP WAS A Y SERIES.) THE PIN WAS REMOVED AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITH NO FURTHER DELAY. AN IRREGULARITY RPT WAS COMPLETED BY THE CAPT AND TURNED IN ON THE NEXT ARR. POINT OF INTEREST: I OBSERVED NO GEAR PINS INSTALLED DURING THE WALK AROUND. A TAILSKID PIN FROM A SERIES WAS FOUND INSTALLED UPON RETURN, AND RED STREAMER WAS COVERED WITH BLACK GREASE AND CONCEALED BY BEING TUCKED UP ON TOP OF THE GEAR STRUT ASSEMBLY. ALL 3 GEAR PINS BELONGING TO SHIP WERE ON BOARD IN THE BAG. THERE WAS NO LOGBOOK ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG TO INDICATE THAT THE GEAR PINS HAD BEEN INSTALLED AT ANY TIME FOR MAINT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN PARKED ON THE RAMP IN IAH OVERNIGHT ALLOWING ACCESS TO NUMEROUS AUTH PERSONS. I CONSIDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THIS EVEN TO BE SUSPICIOUS. I WOULD RECOMMEND TIGHTER SECURITY ON THE RAMP AT IAH.

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.