Narrative:

Airline recently instituted a policy of installing the nose gear pin any time power is taken off the airplane. This was due to a fault being found on the crj's nose gear that could cause it to retract when power is removed on the ground. This event occurred in ZZZ where we were relieving an arriving crew. We got to the aircraft, just as the inbound crew was getting ready to shut down. The aircraft's APU was never shut off, but unknown to us, the crew had installed the nose gear pin. When the first officer did his walkaround, he didn't see that the pin was installed because the wind had taken the flag up into the gear bay, out of sight. None of the ground crew saw it for the same reason. One of our checklist items is 'gear pins -- removed and 3 on board.' at this point, I asked the first officer if the nose gear pin was removed. He said it was because he had checked for it in its storage compartment and saw what he thought was the nose gear pin. It was actually the air driven generator pin. We took off and nose gear failed to retract. Followed checklists and returned to ZZZ, landed uneventfully. Removed nose gear pin. Coordination with company and got new release. Continued to ZZZ1 with no further problems. Company is already installing a more visible gear pin storage rack. That should help. Training for pilots on difference between main landing gear pins, nose landing gear pins, and air driven generator pins might also be useful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR 200 ON TKOF CLB AT 2000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR. FOUND NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED.

Narrative: AIRLINE RECENTLY INSTITUTED A POLICY OF INSTALLING THE NOSE GEAR PIN ANY TIME PWR IS TAKEN OFF THE AIRPLANE. THIS WAS DUE TO A FAULT BEING FOUND ON THE CRJ'S NOSE GEAR THAT COULD CAUSE IT TO RETRACT WHEN PWR IS REMOVED ON THE GND. THIS EVENT OCCURRED IN ZZZ WHERE WE WERE RELIEVING AN ARRIVING CREW. WE GOT TO THE ACFT, JUST AS THE INBOUND CREW WAS GETTING READY TO SHUT DOWN. THE ACFT'S APU WAS NEVER SHUT OFF, BUT UNKNOWN TO US, THE CREW HAD INSTALLED THE NOSE GEAR PIN. WHEN THE FO DID HIS WALKAROUND, HE DIDN'T SEE THAT THE PIN WAS INSTALLED BECAUSE THE WIND HAD TAKEN THE FLAG UP INTO THE GEAR BAY, OUT OF SIGHT. NONE OF THE GND CREW SAW IT FOR THE SAME REASON. ONE OF OUR CHKLIST ITEMS IS 'GEAR PINS -- REMOVED AND 3 ON BOARD.' AT THIS POINT, I ASKED THE FO IF THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS REMOVED. HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE HE HAD CHKED FOR IT IN ITS STORAGE COMPARTMENT AND SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE NOSE GEAR PIN. IT WAS ACTUALLY THE AIR DRIVEN GENERATOR PIN. WE TOOK OFF AND NOSE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT. FOLLOWED CHKLISTS AND RETURNED TO ZZZ, LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. REMOVED NOSE GEAR PIN. COORD WITH COMPANY AND GOT NEW RELEASE. CONTINUED TO ZZZ1 WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. COMPANY IS ALREADY INSTALLING A MORE VISIBLE GEAR PIN STORAGE RACK. THAT SHOULD HELP. TRAINING FOR PLTS ON DIFFERENCE BTWN MAIN LNDG GEAR PINS, NOSE LNDG GEAR PINS, AND ADG PINS MIGHT ALSO BE USEFUL.

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.