Narrative:

Upon pushback at dtw, ground operations normal. Captain received salute and was shown nose gear steering pin. On takeoff nose gear would not retract. Gear was cycled once and nose gear remained extended. Gear was then lowered and approach and landing were flown back to dtw with gear extended. The approach and landing were normal, no emergency was declared at any time. Landing weight was well below maximum landing weight for the aircraft. After gate arrival, it was discovered that maintenance had failed to remove the nose gear pin and the flight engineer failed to catch the mistake. After further investigation by the captain, it was discovered that maintenance towed the aircraft that morning and since the APU was placarded inoperative had to to put all 3 gear pins in. When the gear pins were removed, the 2 mains were pulled and the nose gear steering pin was pulled instead of the nose gear locked pin. The crew chief noticed the steering pin missing when he arrived at the aircraft and sent for another steering pin and installed the new one. So on pushback, captain received salute and was shown the new steering pin. The down and locked pin remained installed. I personally looked at the down and locked pin and the flag attached to the pin was wrapped in a tight ball due to the cold WX making it even harder to detect while installed. A suggestion I would like to offer is to have a longer streamer attached to the nose gear pin of the B727. Those crew members on this aircraft realize how difficult the pin is to see when installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 RIGHT AFTER TKOF WHEN LNDG GEAR RAISED THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED EXTENDED. FLC RETURNED, LANDED AND FOUND NOSE GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED. IT WAS REMOVED AND FLT CONTINUED.

Narrative: UPON PUSHBACK AT DTW, GND OPS NORMAL. CAPT RECEIVED SALUTE AND WAS SHOWN NOSE GEAR STEERING PIN. ON TKOF NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. GEAR WAS CYCLED ONCE AND NOSE GEAR REMAINED EXTENDED. GEAR WAS THEN LOWERED AND APCH AND LNDG WERE FLOWN BACK TO DTW WITH GEAR EXTENDED. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL, NO EMER WAS DECLARED AT ANY TIME. LNDG WT WAS WELL BELOW MAX LNDG WT FOR THE ACFT. AFTER GATE ARR, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MAINT HAD FAILED TO REMOVE THE NOSE GEAR PIN AND THE FE FAILED TO CATCH THE MISTAKE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE CAPT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MAINT TOWED THE ACFT THAT MORNING AND SINCE THE APU WAS PLACARDED INOP HAD TO TO PUT ALL 3 GEAR PINS IN. WHEN THE GEAR PINS WERE REMOVED, THE 2 MAINS WERE PULLED AND THE NOSE GEAR STEERING PIN WAS PULLED INSTEAD OF THE NOSE GEAR LOCKED PIN. THE CREW CHIEF NOTICED THE STEERING PIN MISSING WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AND SENT FOR ANOTHER STEERING PIN AND INSTALLED THE NEW ONE. SO ON PUSHBACK, CAPT RECEIVED SALUTE AND WAS SHOWN THE NEW STEERING PIN. THE DOWN AND LOCKED PIN REMAINED INSTALLED. I PERSONALLY LOOKED AT THE DOWN AND LOCKED PIN AND THE FLAG ATTACHED TO THE PIN WAS WRAPPED IN A TIGHT BALL DUE TO THE COLD WX MAKING IT EVEN HARDER TO DETECT WHILE INSTALLED. A SUGGESTION I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER IS TO HAVE A LONGER STREAMER ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR PIN OF THE B727. THOSE CREW MEMBERS ON THIS ACFT REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT THE PIN IS TO SEE WHEN INSTALLED.

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.