Commuter flight crew departs with gear pins installed.

Attributes
ACN	236690
Time
Date	199303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tracon : bdl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 225
ASRS Report	236690
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	236688
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical 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:

It was the 1ST flight of the day. The aircraft had just come from the hangar. I did the preflight in twilight conditions with a flashlight. Normally if maintenance puts the gear pins in they will write it up in the maintenance log. They did not this time. Gear pins on the ATR are located up in the wheel well and normally have bright red flags about 18 inches long on them so they are clearly visible. This time the flags were covered with oil and grease and had very little red visible. 1 flag may have been missing (not sure if it came off in-flight or was never there). After takeoff the gear would not retract. We ran through the proper checklist and returned to denver for landing. When maintenance came over and checked the gear they discovered the pins were installed. Pins were pulled and we were redispatched. Supplemental information from acn 236688: I should have doublechked gear pins on board when I called for it on checklist.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC DEPARTS WITH GEAR PINS INSTALLED.

Narrative: IT WAS THE 1ST FLT OF THE DAY. THE ACFT HAD JUST COME FROM THE HANGAR. I DID THE PREFLT IN TWILIGHT CONDITIONS WITH A FLASHLIGHT. NORMALLY IF MAINT PUTS THE GEAR PINS IN THEY WILL WRITE IT UP IN THE MAINT LOG. THEY DID NOT THIS TIME. GEAR PINS ON THE ATR ARE LOCATED UP IN THE WHEEL WELL AND NORMALLY HAVE BRIGHT RED FLAGS ABOUT 18 INCHES LONG ON THEM SO THEY ARE CLRLY VISIBLE. THIS TIME THE FLAGS WERE COVERED WITH OIL AND GREASE AND HAD VERY LITTLE RED VISIBLE. 1 FLAG MAY HAVE BEEN MISSING (NOT SURE IF IT CAME OFF INFLT OR WAS NEVER THERE). AFTER TKOF THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE RAN THROUGH THE PROPER CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO DENVER FOR LNDG. WHEN MAINT CAME OVER AND CHKED THE GEAR THEY DISCOVERED THE PINS WERE INSTALLED. PINS WERE PULLED AND WE WERE REDISPATCHED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 236688: I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED GEAR PINS ON BOARD WHEN I CALLED FOR IT ON CHKLIST.

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.