Narrative:

Upon performing the preflight and cockpit cleanup checklist the first officer and myself failed to visually confirm that the gear pins had been removed from the landing gear. Upon selecting the gear up after takeoff, the left main landing gear failed to retract. We continued our climb up through the overcast and completed all checklists and then looked for the gear pins. We found 2 gear pins on the cockpit floor behind the captain's seat. Obviously the other one was left in the left main gear. Because of the WX at fort wayne and the need to burn off weight in case of a possible go around, I elected to continue to ord. There were no icing conditions and the WX there was better than fwa. The flight continued normal to ord. It was flown with the gear down. What caused the problem? We failed to visually confirm that the gear pins had been removed. Probably hurried too much. What can be done to correct the problem? The gear pins are stowed behind the first officer's seat and are often covered by manuals etc. I think it would help if they were located in a more visible place in the cockpit. Also, we use flows for the preflight checklist. I think it should be a do list. Read it, then do it. Supplemental information from acn 357156: this could have been avoided if I had visually checked the pins and we both had slowed down the checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT FORT WAYNE, IN, A FLC FAILS TO PULL GEAR PIN ON L MAIN GEAR. FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITH L MAIN GEAR EXTENDED.

Narrative: UPON PERFORMING THE PREFLT AND COCKPIT CLEANUP CHKLIST THE FO AND MYSELF FAILED TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE GEAR PINS HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LNDG GEAR. UPON SELECTING THE GEAR UP AFTER TKOF, THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB UP THROUGH THE OVCST AND COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND THEN LOOKED FOR THE GEAR PINS. WE FOUND 2 GEAR PINS ON THE COCKPIT FLOOR BEHIND THE CAPT'S SEAT. OBVIOUSLY THE OTHER ONE WAS LEFT IN THE L MAIN GEAR. BECAUSE OF THE WX AT FORT WAYNE AND THE NEED TO BURN OFF WT IN CASE OF A POSSIBLE GAR, I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ORD. THERE WERE NO ICING CONDITIONS AND THE WX THERE WAS BETTER THAN FWA. THE FLT CONTINUED NORMAL TO ORD. IT WAS FLOWN WITH THE GEAR DOWN. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB? WE FAILED TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE GEAR PINS HAD BEEN REMOVED. PROBABLY HURRIED TOO MUCH. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB? THE GEAR PINS ARE STOWED BEHIND THE FO'S SEAT AND ARE OFTEN COVERED BY MANUALS ETC. I THINK IT WOULD HELP IF THEY WERE LOCATED IN A MORE VISIBLE PLACE IN THE COCKPIT. ALSO, WE USE FLOWS FOR THE PREFLT CHKLIST. I THINK IT SHOULD BE A DO LIST. READ IT, THEN DO IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357156: THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD VISUALLY CHKED THE PINS AND WE BOTH HAD SLOWED DOWN THE CHKLIST.

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.