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Flight crew of an light transport returned to land after the nose gear would not retract caused by the aircraft towing pin being left in for takeoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 341773 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iah |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : iah |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 218 flight time total : 15700 flight time type : 2790 |
| ASRS Report | 341773 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The flight was the first of the day for us and the aircraft. The aircraft had been towed to the gate prior to our arrival. Passenger were loaded and flight proceeded normally until gear retraction on takeoff. The 2 main gear retracted but the nose gear remained in the down position. Gear was returned to the down position and return for landing was made at the departure airport. At the gate it was determined that there was a 'pin' in the nose gear. The pin had been put in for towing and had not been removed. The first officer stated that she had looked in the nosewheel well but had not seen the pin. (Our crews do not normally pull pins.) I believe that part of the problem that caused the pin not be seen is that the pin had no flag or streamer and the extended metal was close in color to the brace. I feel that gear pins should not be used to safety the gear unless they have a red streamer and that the head of the pin should be painted a bright color so it cannot be missed easily on preflts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN LTT RETURNED TO LAND AFTER THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT CAUSED BY THE ACFT TOWING PIN BEING LEFT IN FOR TKOF.
Narrative: THE FLT WAS THE FIRST OF THE DAY FOR US AND THE ACFT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN TOWED TO THE GATE PRIOR TO OUR ARR. PAX WERE LOADED AND FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL GEAR RETRACTION ON TKOF. THE 2 MAIN GEAR RETRACTED BUT THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED IN THE DOWN POS. GEAR WAS RETURNED TO THE DOWN POS AND RETURN FOR LNDG WAS MADE AT THE DEP ARPT. AT THE GATE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A 'PIN' IN THE NOSE GEAR. THE PIN HAD BEEN PUT IN FOR TOWING AND HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. THE FO STATED THAT SHE HAD LOOKED IN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL BUT HAD NOT SEEN THE PIN. (OUR CREWS DO NOT NORMALLY PULL PINS.) I BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE PROB THAT CAUSED THE PIN NOT BE SEEN IS THAT THE PIN HAD NO FLAG OR STREAMER AND THE EXTENDED METAL WAS CLOSE IN COLOR TO THE BRACE. I FEEL THAT GEAR PINS SHOULD NOT BE USED TO SAFETY THE GEAR UNLESS THEY HAVE A RED STREAMER AND THAT THE HEAD OF THE PIN SHOULD BE PAINTED A BRIGHT COLOR SO IT CANNOT BE MISSED EASILY ON PREFLTS.
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.