Commuter light transport unable to retract nose gear after takeoff from day. Return land found fuele...

Attributes
ACN	127367
Time
Date	198910
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 241 flight time total : 3955 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	127367
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

I was the flying pilot airlines flight day to evv. After takeoff from runway 24L, the non-flying pilot retracted the landing gear. After the gear appeared to retract, the nosegear's red in-transit light remained illuminated, indicating that it was not safely retracted. We can view the nose gear's reflection in each propeller spinner (though only vaguely), and the nosegear appeared to have retracted. After troubleshooting the red light and circuit breaker, and recycling the gear, the red light remained illuminated. The captain elected to return to day. When the gear was lowered, we received 3 green down-and-locked lights. The landing was uneventful. The mechanics discovered a large metal clip, used by the fueler to ground the aircraft, still attached to the nosegear! Since the captain preflts the aircraft prior to the first flight of the day, he could not have discovered this grounding clip on our third leg. Corrective actions: inspect nosegear after each refueling. Train the fuel personnel to remove the clip by hand, instead of yanking it loose from the other end, as they often do!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT UNABLE TO RETRACT NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF FROM DAY. RETURN LAND FOUND FUELER'S GROUNDING CLIP STILL ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLYING PLT AIRLINES FLT DAY TO EVV. AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 24L, THE NON-FLYING PLT RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR. AFTER THE GEAR APPEARED TO RETRACT, THE NOSEGEAR'S RED IN-TRANSIT LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT IT WAS NOT SAFELY RETRACTED. WE CAN VIEW THE NOSE GEAR'S REFLECTION IN EACH PROPELLER SPINNER (THOUGH ONLY VAGUELY), AND THE NOSEGEAR APPEARED TO HAVE RETRACTED. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE RED LIGHT AND CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND RECYCLING THE GEAR, THE RED LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO RETURN TO DAY. WHEN THE GEAR WAS LOWERED, WE RECEIVED 3 GREEN DOWN-AND-LOCKED LIGHTS. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE MECHANICS DISCOVERED A LARGE METAL CLIP, USED BY THE FUELER TO GND THE ACFT, STILL ATTACHED TO THE NOSEGEAR! SINCE THE CAPT PREFLTS THE ACFT PRIOR TO THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, HE COULD NOT HAVE DISCOVERED THIS GNDING CLIP ON OUR THIRD LEG. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: INSPECT NOSEGEAR AFTER EACH REFUELING. TRAIN THE FUEL PERSONNEL TO REMOVE THE CLIP BY HAND, INSTEAD OF YANKING IT LOOSE FROM THE OTHER END, AS THEY OFTEN DO!

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.

Commuter light transport unable to retract nose gear after takeoff from day. Return land found fueler's grounding clip still attached to the nose gear.