Narrative:

After a routine take off, the landing gear would not retract. I knew immediately what had happened. The aircraft did not shift into the flight mode. The first officer and I completed the required checklist procedure for 'ground shift failure.' we advised the tower and departure control we would like to stay in the local area. We were given vectors to stay within 20 NM of airport. After contacting our dispatcher and maintain control, all parties concurred we should land back in dtw. We did not declare an emergency, as a normal landing was expected. We briefed our flight attendants and passenger that we would be landing back in dtw in 5-10 mins. A normal ILS to runway 22L and normal landing was made. On nosewheel contact at touchdown all seemed normal. Approximately 90 KTS I reverted to nosewheel steering, and found it would not turn. We were able to come to a stop on the centerline. A great deal of vibration, and scuffing of nose tires was heard from 90 KTS to stopping. We were unable to turn off the runway left or right. We reported we were disabled on the runway, to tower. We asked to have fire-fighting equipment come out to aircraft in the event we had smoke/fire in nose area. All was fine. We advised passenger and flight attendants of our problem. Company equipment came and towed us to an available gate. Logbook write-up was made on our malfunction. After talking with mechanic at the nosewheel area, he concluded we had multiple problems with nosewheel steering and ground shift. A mechanical failure. Only thing I would have done differently is to have emergency equipment standing by on runway in the event a routine problem turns into something worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-50 AFTER TKOF WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE LNDG GEAR AND THE AIRPLANE REMAINED IN THE GND MODE. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Narrative: AFTER A ROUTINE TAKE OFF, THE LNDG GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. I KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE ACFT DID NOT SHIFT INTO THE FLT MODE. THE FO AND I COMPLETED THE REQUIRED CHKLIST PROC FOR 'GND SHIFT FAILURE.' WE ADVISED THE TWR AND DEP CTL WE WOULD LIKE TO STAY IN THE LCL AREA. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO STAY WITHIN 20 NM OF ARPT. AFTER CONTACTING OUR DISPATCHER AND MAINTAIN CTL, ALL PARTIES CONCURRED WE SHOULD LAND BACK IN DTW. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, AS A NORMAL LNDG WAS EXPECTED. WE BRIEFED OUR FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG BACK IN DTW IN 5-10 MINS. A NORMAL ILS TO RWY 22L AND NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. ON NOSEWHEEL CONTACT AT TOUCHDOWN ALL SEEMED NORMAL. APPROX 90 KTS I REVERTED TO NOSEWHEEL STEERING, AND FOUND IT WOULD NOT TURN. WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO A STOP ON THE CTRLINE. A GREAT DEAL OF VIBRATION, AND SCUFFING OF NOSE TIRES WAS HEARD FROM 90 KTS TO STOPPING. WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE RWY L OR R. WE RPTED WE WERE DISABLED ON THE RWY, TO TWR. WE ASKED TO HAVE FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIP COME OUT TO ACFT IN THE EVENT WE HAD SMOKE/FIRE IN NOSE AREA. ALL WAS FINE. WE ADVISED PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS OF OUR PROB. COMPANY EQUIP CAME AND TOWED US TO AN AVAILABLE GATE. LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS MADE ON OUR MALFUNCTION. AFTER TALKING WITH MECH AT THE NOSEWHEEL AREA, HE CONCLUDED WE HAD MULTIPLE PROBS WITH NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND GND SHIFT. A MECHANICAL FAILURE. ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO HAVE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY ON RWY IN THE EVENT A ROUTINE PROB TURNS INTO SOMETHING WORSE.

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.