Commuter unable to retract gear after takeoff. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	198589
Time
Date	199201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gvg airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	198589
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Unable to retract landing gear on departure after landing and reinspecting gear discovered an extra piece of hardware that company maintenance had used in the hangar to brace the nose wheel. I had never seen this before. It did not have a flag on it. Pilots thought it was part of landing gear during preflight. Suggested to company that this piece be painted with contrasting color. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states after landing called maintenance who came to check. Mechanic pointed out to the first officer the brace high up inside the nose wheel area. When reporter went to look, he could not see it all until mechanic pointed it out to him. My crew were very upset because it is supposed to have a flag. The brace is aluminum in appearance and blends with other parts. Thus his suggestion to paint it orange. There was an incident of nose gear collapse during maintenance so this unit was devised to keep a second incident from occurring.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER UNABLE TO RETRACT GEAR AFTER TKOF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: UNABLE TO RETRACT LNDG GEAR ON DEP AFTER LNDG AND REINSPECTING GEAR DISCOVERED AN EXTRA PIECE OF HARDWARE THAT COMPANY MAINT HAD USED IN THE HANGAR TO BRACE THE NOSE WHEEL. I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. IT DID NOT HAVE A FLAG ON IT. PLTS THOUGHT IT WAS PART OF LNDG GEAR DURING PREFLT. SUGGESTED TO COMPANY THAT THIS PIECE BE PAINTED WITH CONTRASTING COLOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES AFTER LNDG CALLED MAINT WHO CAME TO CHK. MECH POINTED OUT TO THE FO THE BRACE HIGH UP INSIDE THE NOSE WHEEL AREA. WHEN RPTR WENT TO LOOK, HE COULD NOT SEE IT ALL UNTIL MECH POINTED IT OUT TO HIM. MY CREW WERE VERY UPSET BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A FLAG. THE BRACE IS ALUMINUM IN APPEARANCE AND BLENDS WITH OTHER PARTS. THUS HIS SUGGESTION TO PAINT IT ORANGE. THERE WAS AN INCIDENT OF NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE DURING MAINT SO THIS UNIT WAS DEVISED TO KEEP A SECOND INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING.

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.