Wheel chock left in gear well blocked gear from retracting. Aircraft returned and landed.

Attributes
ACN	328715
Time
Date	199602
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
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	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	328715
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	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	other

Narrative:

On feb/wed/96, I was the mechanic working at gate. Aircraft was towed into the gate for departure on a flight to XXX by another maintenance crew. As per usual procedures, I completed a walkaround inspection and found everything to be in airworthy condition. Also, ZZZ first officer (captain), completed a walkaround inspection after mine and did not find anything out of the ordinary either. I dispatched the aircraft at approximately XX30 using normal procedures. Later, I heard over the radio that the plane could not retract its left main gear, and they were returning to the field. Upon return to gate other mechanics found a black rubber wheel chock wedged between the strut and sidestrut, which caused the gear retract problem. If the wheel chock was in the strut before departure, then 4 people missed it. The captain, me and the 2 mechanics who towed it over from the hanger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHEEL CHOCK LEFT IN GEAR WELL BLOCKED GEAR FROM RETRACTING. ACFT RETURNED AND LANDED.

Narrative: ON FEB/WED/96, I WAS THE MECH WORKING AT GATE. ACFT WAS TOWED INTO THE GATE FOR DEP ON A FLT TO XXX BY ANOTHER MAINT CREW. AS PER USUAL PROCS, I COMPLETED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND FOUND EVERYTHING TO BE IN AIRWORTHY CONDITION. ALSO, ZZZ FO (CAPT), COMPLETED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AFTER MINE AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY EITHER. I DISPATCHED THE ACFT AT APPROX XX30 USING NORMAL PROCS. LATER, I HEARD OVER THE RADIO THAT THE PLANE COULD NOT RETRACT ITS L MAIN GEAR, AND THEY WERE RETURNING TO THE FIELD. UPON RETURN TO GATE OTHER MECHS FOUND A BLACK RUBBER WHEEL CHOCK WEDGED BTWN THE STRUT AND SIDESTRUT, WHICH CAUSED THE GEAR RETRACT PROB. IF THE WHEEL CHOCK WAS IN THE STRUT BEFORE DEP, THEN 4 PEOPLE MISSED IT. THE CAPT, ME AND THE 2 MECHS WHO TOWED IT OVER FROM THE HANGER.

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.