B727 flight crew flies all day with no gear crank handle aboard.

Attributes
ACN	323518
Time
Date	199511
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
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 : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	323518
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After reporting for work at XA20 am, I went to the gate to preflight the aircraft which had just been pulled up from the maintenance hangar. All preflight preparations seemed normal and we proceeded to fly a 3-LEG circle: atl-rdu-ric-atl. After returning to atl, we called a mechanic because the ADF was inoperative. We then packed our flight kits and unloaded our suitcases from the cockpit baggage area. As we were about to leave the aircraft, the first officer noticed that the gear crank handle was not strapped on the aft cockpit wall (in the baggage storage bin area). We looked around but could not find it, so we told the mechanic it was missing. Whether it was there before we started the trip or not, is a mystery. It had been dark and it had come out of maintenance, but also there was much confusion in the cockpit when we returned before we noticed it missing. Thankfully it was not needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FLC FLIES ALL DAY WITH NO GEAR CRANK HANDLE ABOARD.

Narrative: AFTER RPTING FOR WORK AT XA20 AM, I WENT TO THE GATE TO PREFLT THE ACFT WHICH HAD JUST BEEN PULLED UP FROM THE MAINT HANGAR. ALL PREFLT PREPARATIONS SEEMED NORMAL AND WE PROCEEDED TO FLY A 3-LEG CIRCLE: ATL-RDU-RIC-ATL. AFTER RETURNING TO ATL, WE CALLED A MECH BECAUSE THE ADF WAS INOP. WE THEN PACKED OUR FLT KITS AND UNLOADED OUR SUITCASES FROM THE COCKPIT BAGGAGE AREA. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE THE ACFT, THE FO NOTICED THAT THE GEAR CRANK HANDLE WAS NOT STRAPPED ON THE AFT COCKPIT WALL (IN THE BAGGAGE STORAGE BIN AREA). WE LOOKED AROUND BUT COULD NOT FIND IT, SO WE TOLD THE MECH IT WAS MISSING. WHETHER IT WAS THERE BEFORE WE STARTED THE TRIP OR NOT, IS A MYSTERY. IT HAD BEEN DARK AND IT HAD COME OUT OF MAINT, BUT ALSO THERE WAS MUCH CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT WHEN WE RETURNED BEFORE WE NOTICED IT MISSING. THANKFULLY IT WAS NOT NEEDED.

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.