After a long mechanical delay, an large transport air carrier crew took off to find that the nose gear would not retract. When they returned and landed, they found that the nose gear pin was still in place.

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Attributes
ACN	217424
Time
Date	199208
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	217424
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During taxi out, hydraulic system 'a' failed with total loss of system 'a' quantity. We had to be towed back to the gate for maintenance. My exterior activities were focused in the left gear well where the hydraulic leak was, although I did perform a complete walk around. We pushed back after maintenance was finished, however, during engine start, the hydraulic quantity dropped, so we returned to the gate again for service. This time no one departed the airplane, and we kept the main cabin door closed, so I did not do a walk around. After the hydraulic service, we took off, but found the nose gear would not retract. We dumped down to normal landing weight, returned for landing. After arrival at the gate again, maintenance informed us that the gear pin they had installed earlier was still installed. They also said no flag was visible from the gear well, indicating that either the pin had no streamer attached, or it was wrapped up in the gear well. There was no logbook write up of a gear pin being installed, nor was crew ever informed gear was pinned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A LONG MECHANICAL DELAY, AN LGT ACR CREW TOOK OFF TO FIND THAT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. WHEN THEY RETURNED AND LANDED, THEY FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS STILL IN PLACE.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT, HYD SYS 'A' FAILED WITH TOTAL LOSS OF SYS 'A' QUANTITY. WE HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE FOR MAINT. MY EXTERIOR ACTIVITIES WERE FOCUSED IN THE L GEAR WELL WHERE THE HYD LEAK WAS, ALTHOUGH I DID PERFORM A COMPLETE WALK AROUND. WE PUSHED BACK AFTER MAINT WAS FINISHED, HOWEVER, DURING ENG START, THE HYD QUANTITY DROPPED, SO WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AGAIN FOR SVC. THIS TIME NO ONE DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE, AND WE KEPT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR CLOSED, SO I DID NOT DO A WALK AROUND. AFTER THE HYD SVC, WE TOOK OFF, BUT FOUND THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE DUMPED DOWN TO NORMAL LNDG WT, RETURNED FOR LNDG. AFTER ARR AT THE GATE AGAIN, MAINT INFORMED US THAT THE GEAR PIN THEY HAD INSTALLED EARLIER WAS STILL INSTALLED. THEY ALSO SAID NO FLAG WAS VISIBLE FROM THE GEAR WELL, INDICATING THAT EITHER THE PIN HAD NO STREAMER ATTACHED, OR IT WAS WRAPPED UP IN THE GEAR WELL. THERE WAS NO LOGBOOK WRITE UP OF A GEAR PIN BEING INSTALLED, NOR WAS CREW EVER INFORMED GEAR WAS PINNED.

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.