Flight crew of large transport departing msp is unable to get the nose gear to raise. Returns to lan...

Attributes
ACN	149930
Time
Date	199006
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 14935 flight time type : 2267
ASRS Report	149930
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Large transport a came from the hangar as a replacement for ship large transport B for flight from msp-sjc. Takeoff at 160000 pounds was normal until raising the landing gear, the main gear retracted normally. The red door warning light, the nose gear red warning light on the forward panel and the amber nose gear warning lights on the second officer panel remained on, the green gear lights on the forward panel were extinguished. There was a lot of excessive noise in the cockpit from the nose gear hanging down, verifying the indications. Flaps were retracted to 5 degree and 185 KTS was maintained. We leveled off at 5000' MSL, 5 degree flaps, 185 KTS and 160000 pounds. The landing gear was lowered again with all normal gear extension indicators. A second attempt to restart the gear was made with the same abnormal indications. Maintenance was contacted via VHF radio. Msp maintenance said to extend the gear again and retract the gear again to describe all indications as they occurred over VHF radio. This was done. Msp maintenance recommended return to msp so 10000 pounds fuel was dumped to maximum landing weight of 150000 pounds. An emergency was declared due to the abnormal nose gear indications, since it could not be expected that the nose gear would not collapse or nose wheel T/D, a precautionary landing was made west/O incident. The aircraft taxied off the runway and towed to the gate by msp maintenance. (See ASRS report acn 149931 for additional information).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT DEPARTING MSP IS UNABLE TO GET THE NOSE GEAR TO RAISE. RETURNS TO LAND WITH EMERGENCY DECLARED IN CASE THE NOSE WHEEL SHOULD COLLAPSE. LNDG IS INEVENTFUL. SEE ASRS RPT #149931 FOR ADDITIONAL INFO.

Narrative: LGT A CAME FROM THE HANGAR AS A REPLACEMENT FOR SHIP LGT B FOR FLT FROM MSP-SJC. TKOF AT 160000 LBS WAS NORMAL UNTIL RAISING THE LNDG GEAR, THE MAIN GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY. THE RED DOOR WARNING LIGHT, THE NOSE GEAR RED WARNING LIGHT ON THE FORWARD PANEL AND THE AMBER NOSE GEAR WARNING LIGHTS ON THE S/O PANEL REMAINED ON, THE GREEN GEAR LIGHTS ON THE FORWARD PANEL WERE EXTINGUISHED. THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCESSIVE NOISE IN THE COCKPIT FROM THE NOSE GEAR HANGING DOWN, VERIFYING THE INDICATIONS. FLAPS WERE RETRACTED TO 5 DEG AND 185 KTS WAS MAINTAINED. WE LEVELED OFF AT 5000' MSL, 5 DEG FLAPS, 185 KTS AND 160000 LBS. THE LNDG GEAR WAS LOWERED AGAIN WITH ALL NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION INDICATORS. A SECOND ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE GEAR WAS MADE WITH THE SAME ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. MAINT WAS CONTACTED VIA VHF RADIO. MSP MAINT SAID TO EXTEND THE GEAR AGAIN AND RETRACT THE GEAR AGAIN TO DESCRIBE ALL INDICATIONS AS THEY OCCURRED OVER VHF RADIO. THIS WAS DONE. MSP MAINT RECOMMENDED RETURN TO MSP SO 10000 LBS FUEL WAS DUMPED TO MAX LNDG WT OF 150000 LBS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED DUE TO THE ABNORMAL NOSE GEAR INDICATIONS, SINCE IT COULD NOT BE EXPECTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT COLLAPSE OR NOSE WHEEL T/D, A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS MADE W/O INCIDENT. THE ACFT TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND TOWED TO THE GATE BY MSP MAINT. (SEE ASRS RPT ACN 149931 FOR ADDITIONAL INFO).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Flight crew of large transport departing msp is unable to get the nose gear to raise. Returns to land with emergency declared in case the nose wheel should collapse. Landing is ineventful. See ASRS report #149931 for additional information.