DH8 flight crew received a gear unsafe light after takeoff and gear retraction.

Attributes
ACN	315477
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sby
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sby
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
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 : 140 flight time total : 22500 flight time type : 8800
ASRS Report	315476
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 5800
ASRS Report	315477
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Gear unsafe light on gear retraction. Returned and landed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after landing, the flight crew discovered layers of bubble wrap secured around the gear uplock in the left main wheel well. Apparently, the mechanic on the preceding night's shift kept bumping into the uplock so he used bubble wrap for a buffer. Reporter states that this is a routine maintenance procedure. A major contributing factor was the fact that the first mechanic did not remove the wrap or indicate its presence to the subsequent mechanic. The error continued past a mechanic, a lead mechanic, a quality control person, and the first officer's preflight. FAA inspector termed the incident as a real human factors story.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8 FLC RECEIVED A GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT AFTER TKOF AND GEAR RETRACTION.

Narrative: GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ON GEAR RETRACTION. RETURNED AND LANDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER LNDG, THE FLC DISCOVERED LAYERS OF BUBBLE WRAP SECURED AROUND THE GEAR UPLOCK IN THE L MAIN WHEEL WELL. APPARENTLY, THE MECH ON THE PRECEDING NIGHT'S SHIFT KEPT BUMPING INTO THE UPLOCK SO HE USED BUBBLE WRAP FOR A BUFFER. RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS A ROUTINE MAINT PROC. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT THE FIRST MECH DID NOT REMOVE THE WRAP OR INDICATE ITS PRESENCE TO THE SUBSEQUENT MECH. THE ERROR CONTINUED PAST A MECH, A LEAD MECH, A QUALITY CTL PERSON, AND THE FO'S PREFLT. FAA INSPECTOR TERMED THE INCIDENT AS A REAL HUMAN FACTORS STORY.

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.