Landing gear pin left in during takeoff resulting in return land since pinned gear would not retract...

Attributes
ACN	296148
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 1550
ASRS Report	296148
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	296404
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During preflight first officer removed 2 landing gear pins. The third pin on the left main landing gear was not visible - its chain and red flag was not hanging down. Instead, it was wrapped around the down lock strut. I had gone out to give him a bag for the pins, so when he got to the left side of the aircraft and didn't see the flag he thought I had removed it. We departed and attempted to retract the landing gear. The left main, of course, would not retract. We returned to the airport and, upon further inspection, found the pin. Maintenance could remove pins after towing aircraft. Pins and flags could be made more visible to pilots.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG GEAR PIN LEFT IN DURING TKOF RESULTING IN RETURN LAND SINCE PINNED GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT FO REMOVED 2 LNDG GEAR PINS. THE THIRD PIN ON THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS NOT VISIBLE - ITS CHAIN AND RED FLAG WAS NOT HANGING DOWN. INSTEAD, IT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE DOWN LOCK STRUT. I HAD GONE OUT TO GIVE HIM A BAG FOR THE PINS, SO WHEN HE GOT TO THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND DIDN'T SEE THE FLAG HE THOUGHT I HAD REMOVED IT. WE DEPARTED AND ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE LNDG GEAR. THE L MAIN, OF COURSE, WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND, UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, FOUND THE PIN. MAINT COULD REMOVE PINS AFTER TOWING ACFT. PINS AND FLAGS COULD BE MADE MORE VISIBLE TO PLTS.

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.