Air carrier widebody transport dumped fuel and returned to hnl because the nose gear would not retra...

Attributes
ACN	194845
Time
Date	199111
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	194845
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000
ASRS Report	194376
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft departed honolulu international on schedule. When safely airborne I placed gear handle up. All gear indicated up except nose gear. We informed departure, leveled off at 3000 ft as instructed and captain gave me control of the aircraft as he and the so went through the proper emergency procedures prescribed for the nose gear not indicating up. The nose gear remained down. We dumped fuel to maximum landing weight and made an uneventful landing at honolulu international with all gear indicating down and locked (normal indication). No emergency was declared. Upon inspecting the nose wheel, maintenance found the nose gear pin installed. The flag on the pin was approximately 18 inches long and was totally blackened with dirt and grease. It is supposed to be approximately 6 ft long and bright red. The pin is extremely difficult to see on the widebody transport and one must climb up on the nose gear to access it. I feel that both maintenance and the so failed to see that the pin was installed due to the lack of a proper flag on the nose gear pin. Recommend pin flag condition be included on the daily maintenance checks performed by maintenance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO HNL BECAUSE THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED HONOLULU INTL ON SCHEDULE. WHEN SAFELY AIRBORNE I PLACED GEAR HANDLE UP. ALL GEAR INDICATED UP EXCEPT NOSE GEAR. WE INFORMED DEP, LEVELED OFF AT 3000 FT AS INSTRUCTED AND CAPT GAVE ME CTL OF THE ACFT AS HE AND THE SO WENT THROUGH THE PROPER EMER PROCS PRESCRIBED FOR THE NOSE GEAR NOT INDICATING UP. THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED DOWN. WE DUMPED FUEL TO MAX LNDG WT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT HONOLULU INTL WITH ALL GEAR INDICATING DOWN AND LOCKED (NORMAL INDICATION). NO EMER WAS DECLARED. UPON INSPECTING THE NOSE WHEEL, MAINT FOUND THE NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. THE FLAG ON THE PIN WAS APPROX 18 INCHES LONG AND WAS TOTALLY BLACKENED WITH DIRT AND GREASE. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE APPROX 6 FT LONG AND BRIGHT RED. THE PIN IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE ON THE WDB AND ONE MUST CLB UP ON THE NOSE GEAR TO ACCESS IT. I FEEL THAT BOTH MAINT AND THE SO FAILED TO SEE THAT THE PIN WAS INSTALLED DUE TO THE LACK OF A PROPER FLAG ON THE NOSE GEAR PIN. RECOMMEND PIN FLAG CONDITION BE INCLUDED ON THE DAILY MAINT CHKS PERFORMED BY MAINT.

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.

Air carrier widebody transport dumped fuel and returned to hnl because the nose gear would not retract.