Narrative:

We returned to grb after takeoff because the nose gear failed to retract due to the nose gear pin not being removed. 750 pounds of fuel were burned to get the aircraft below the maximum landing weight. We landed uneventfully and taxied back to the gate. The gear pin was removed and the captain performed a preflight inspection of the aircraft. The aircraft was refueled back to the original load and new WX reports were received (there was no change in the WX). ATC gave us the same clearance (including the same transponder code) and we departed grb within 15 mins of our return. We arrived at our destination (cvg) within 15 mins of our scheduled time. Because the original problem was a failure of the ground crew to remove the station's nose gear pin prior to taxi and not a mechanical failure, we did not realize a mechanical write-up was required. Also, because there was no change in the WX, or the information required on the release, we did not amend our release. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said the preflight was accomplished by a new first officer who failed to observe the nose gear pin red flag hanging a few inches below the nose gear doors. The reporter stated it is air carrier practice to pin the nose gear for overnight layovers and for pushback operations but in our case we taxied off the gate. The reporter stated the ground crew had an opportunity to catch this error since the flag was hanging below the gear doors in view.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 WAS DISPATCHED AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR CAUSED BY THE GND CREW FAILURE TO REMOVE THE GEAR PIN PRIOR TO DISPATCH. ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH NO LOG ENTRY OR AMENDED RELEASE.

Narrative: WE RETURNED TO GRB AFTER TKOF BECAUSE THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT DUE TO THE NOSE GEAR PIN NOT BEING REMOVED. 750 LBS OF FUEL WERE BURNED TO GET THE ACFT BELOW THE MAX LNDG WT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. THE GEAR PIN WAS REMOVED AND THE CAPT PERFORMED A PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS REFUELED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL LOAD AND NEW WX RPTS WERE RECEIVED (THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE WX). ATC GAVE US THE SAME CLRNC (INCLUDING THE SAME XPONDER CODE) AND WE DEPARTED GRB WITHIN 15 MINS OF OUR RETURN. WE ARRIVED AT OUR DEST (CVG) WITHIN 15 MINS OF OUR SCHEDULED TIME. BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL PROB WAS A FAILURE OF THE GND CREW TO REMOVE THE STATION'S NOSE GEAR PIN PRIOR TO TAXI AND NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE, WE DID NOT REALIZE A MECHANICAL WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED. ALSO, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE WX, OR THE INFO REQUIRED ON THE RELEASE, WE DID NOT AMEND OUR RELEASE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THE PREFLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY A NEW FO WHO FAILED TO OBSERVE THE NOSE GEAR PIN RED FLAG HANGING A FEW INCHES BELOW THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. THE RPTR STATED IT IS ACR PRACTICE TO PIN THE NOSE GEAR FOR OVERNIGHT LAYOVERS AND FOR PUSHBACK OPS BUT IN OUR CASE WE TAXIED OFF THE GATE. THE RPTR STATED THE GND CREW HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH THIS ERROR SINCE THE FLAG WAS HANGING BELOW THE GEAR DOORS IN VIEW.

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.