Return land mandated after air carrier mdt cannot retract gear after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	228800
Time
Date	199212
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	228800
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After takeoff I called for gear up main gear would not retract. Consulted abnormal/emergency checklist. Put gear back down, both 3 green indication. Returned to land at departure airport, landing uneventful. After shutdown, realized what problem was, main gear pins were in. During preflight, I did not see pins or flags, flags were very dirty black, should be bright orange, also wind had blown flags into wells. This is no excuse, because on acceptance checklist it calls for 'gear pins removed and stowed.' airplane had maintenance done night before. Pins were to be removed by maintenance, but were not. I had assumed airplane had already flown that day, never assume. I should have been more alert to prevent this, sometimes you stop looking for things that are usually not there. Also maintenance should make entry in aircraft log when pins are removed and installed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED AFTER ACR MDT CANNOT RETRACT GEAR AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF I CALLED FOR GEAR UP MAIN GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. CONSULTED ABNORMAL/EMER CHKLIST. PUT GEAR BACK DOWN, BOTH 3 GREEN INDICATION. RETURNED TO LAND AT DEP ARPT, LNDG UNEVENTFUL. AFTER SHUTDOWN, REALIZED WHAT PROBLEM WAS, MAIN GEAR PINS WERE IN. DURING PREFLT, I DID NOT SEE PINS OR FLAGS, FLAGS WERE VERY DIRTY BLACK, SHOULD BE BRIGHT ORANGE, ALSO WIND HAD BLOWN FLAGS INTO WELLS. THIS IS NO EXCUSE, BECAUSE ON ACCEPTANCE CHKLIST IT CALLS FOR 'GEAR PINS REMOVED AND STOWED.' AIRPLANE HAD MAINT DONE NIGHT BEFORE. PINS WERE TO BE REMOVED BY MAINT, BUT WERE NOT. I HAD ASSUMED AIRPLANE HAD ALREADY FLOWN THAT DAY, NEVER ASSUME. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT TO PREVENT THIS, SOMETIMES YOU STOP LOOKING FOR THINGS THAT ARE USUALLY NOT THERE. ALSO MAINT SHOULD MAKE ENTRY IN ACFT LOG WHEN PINS ARE REMOVED AND INSTALLED.

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.