A DC9 first officer PNF, reported a gear problem required a return land at dtw.

Attributes
ACN	596580
Time
Date	200310
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d21.tracon tower : dtw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8100 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	596580
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear indicators other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed runway 21R at dtw. After gear retraction, heard a loud bang from nose gear section, followed by moderate vibration. Got a nose gear unsafe light. Leveled off at 4000 ft and orbited east of dtw until all checklists and procedures were completed. Talked to dispatch and maintenance control. All advised return to dtw. Landing gear was recycled -- 3 green. Proceeded for a normal landing at dtw runway 22L. Declared emergency for handling. Dtw approach was very helpful and calm. Successful landing at dtw runway 22L and taxied back to a gate. It appears the nose gear door retraction cable snapped, allowing gear door to vibrate in the wind stream. Flight attendants were briefed prior to landing for no evacuate/evacuation. It was not needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 FO PNF, RPTED A GEAR PROB REQUIRED A RETURN LAND AT DTW.

Narrative: DEPARTED RWY 21R AT DTW. AFTER GEAR RETRACTION, HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM NOSE GEAR SECTION, FOLLOWED BY MODERATE VIBRATION. GOT A NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT. LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT AND ORBITED E OF DTW UNTIL ALL CHKLISTS AND PROCS WERE COMPLETED. TALKED TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. ALL ADVISED RETURN TO DTW. LNDG GEAR WAS RECYCLED -- 3 GREEN. PROCEEDED FOR A NORMAL LNDG AT DTW RWY 22L. DECLARED EMER FOR HANDLING. DTW APCH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND CALM. SUCCESSFUL LNDG AT DTW RWY 22L AND TAXIED BACK TO A GATE. IT APPEARS THE NOSE GEAR DOOR RETRACTION CABLE SNAPPED, ALLOWING GEAR DOOR TO VIBRATE IN THE WIND STREAM. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BRIEFED PRIOR TO LNDG FOR NO EVAC. IT WAS NOT NEEDED.

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.