Narrative:

Scheduled airline flight departed norfolk, va. Upon raising landing gear handle, nosewheel indicated unsafe. First officer immediately stated, 'they didn't remove that gear pin.' aircraft returned to norfolk, gear pin was removed. Crew arrived at gate at XX15 to find that the aircraft had not been towed from its overnight position. At XX35, aircraft arrived at gate for a XA45 departure. Crew was informed that the APU would not start. First officer proceeded to the cockpit to trouble shoot APU. After checking all APU circuit breaker's in cockpit, first officer proceeded to the belly compartment to check other APU circuit breaker's. The APU start was still unsuccessful. First officer decided to complete external preflight west/O power on aircraft, while awaiting external power cart. The tractor was still attached to aircraft, first officer noticed that nosegear preflight, power cart was connected to a/C. Ground crew came to cockpit to inform crew that the external headset did not work and that start would be performed with hand signals. The ground crew also informed crew that an accumulator bottle would be used for start and that the bottle only had enough charge to start one engine, necessitating a crossbleed start of the second engine. After completing the appropriate checklists, the #2 engine was started. As the power cart was being disconnected, and electrical fault occurred. After successfully started the #1 engine. Receiving the appropriate hand signals from the ground crew, aircraft was taxied away from the gate. The first officer was overloaded with several non standard circumstances. It was the ground crew's job to remove the gear pin, but the responsibility remained with the first officer to ensure that the pin was removed. The first officer allowed his desire to depart on time and his preoccupation with the APU problem to interfere with his preflight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG MADE TKOF WITH NOSE GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLLED. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: SCHEDULED AIRLINE FLT DEPARTED NORFOLK, VA. UPON RAISING LNDG GEAR HANDLE, NOSEWHEEL INDICATED UNSAFE. F/O IMMEDIATELY STATED, 'THEY DIDN'T REMOVE THAT GEAR PIN.' ACFT RETURNED TO NORFOLK, GEAR PIN WAS REMOVED. CREW ARRIVED AT GATE AT XX15 TO FIND THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN TOWED FROM ITS OVERNIGHT POS. AT XX35, ACFT ARRIVED AT GATE FOR A XA45 DEP. CREW WAS INFORMED THAT THE APU WOULD NOT START. F/O PROCEEDED TO THE COCKPIT TO TROUBLE SHOOT APU. AFTER CHKING ALL APU CB'S IN COCKPIT, F/O PROCEEDED TO THE BELLY COMPARTMENT TO CHK OTHER APU CB'S. THE APU START WAS STILL UNSUCCESSFUL. F/O DECIDED TO COMPLETE EXTERNAL PREFLT W/O PWR ON ACFT, WHILE AWAITING EXTERNAL PWR CART. THE TRACTOR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO ACFT, F/O NOTICED THAT NOSEGEAR PREFLT, POWER CART WAS CONNECTED TO A/C. GND CREW CAME TO COCKPIT TO INFORM CREW THAT THE EXTERNAL HEADSET DID NOT WORK AND THAT START WOULD BE PERFORMED WITH HAND SIGNALS. THE GND CREW ALSO INFORMED CREW THAT AN ACCUMULATOR BOTTLE WOULD BE USED FOR START AND THAT THE BOTTLE ONLY HAD ENOUGH CHARGE TO START ONE ENG, NECESSITATING A CROSSBLEED START OF THE SECOND ENG. AFTER COMPLETING THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, THE #2 ENG WAS STARTED. AS THE PWR CART WAS BEING DISCONNECTED, AND ELECTRICAL FAULT OCCURRED. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY STARTED THE #1 ENG. RECEIVING THE APPROPRIATE HAND SIGNALS FROM THE GND CREW, ACFT WAS TAXIED AWAY FROM THE GATE. THE F/O WAS OVERLOADED WITH SEVERAL NON STANDARD CIRCUMSTANCES. IT WAS THE GND CREW'S JOB TO REMOVE THE GEAR PIN, BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY REMAINED WITH THE F/O TO ENSURE THAT THE PIN WAS REMOVED. THE F/O ALLOWED HIS DESIRE TO DEPART ON TIME AND HIS PREOCCUPATION WITH THE APU PROB TO INTERFERE WITH HIS PREFLT.

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.