An A320 departs san and unable to raise its nose gear, diverts to lax, ca.

Attributes
ACN	605285
Time
Date	200401
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : san.tower tower : slc.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2750
ASRS Report	605285
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2425
ASRS Report	605286
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas system other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff, the gear handle stuck in the down position. Continued on departure and contacted dispatch and a patch to maintenance. Had ECAM message landing gear shock absorber fault. Also, autoflt, no autothrottles. No further ECAM message as mentioned in irregulars about wheel. Maintenance said it is possible the nose gear is turned 90 degrees or missing. No circuit breakers were popped. Decided to divert to los angeles for maintenance, longer runway. WX in sfo was IFR, fuel consumption was high. Advised flight attendant of cabin advisory. Did not declare an emergency, but tower treated it as such for handling. Made a fly-by to check gear. 2 aircraft on taxiway confirmed all looked normal. Captain proceeded to land with normal touchdown and rollout. Taxied onto taxiway B and several company mechanics stopped us and plugged in. Said they were there to pin the gear. After a moment, they said ok and gave me the salute and release. Taxied to the gate uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 605286: performed walkaround on aircraft for early morning departure. I saw no flags and the aircraft appeared normal. On takeoff, we noticed a louder than normal thump hitting the 'turtles' on the centerline lighting system. We got a long gear shock absorber fault ECAM followed shortly thereafter by an autoflt autothrottles angle at san. We decided to head north to lax while working with dispatch and maintenance to address the gear issues. After shutdown, maintenance told us the nose gear did not register fully extended, so that was why the gear would not retract.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 DEPARTS SAN AND UNABLE TO RAISE ITS NOSE GEAR, DIVERTS TO LAX, CA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, THE GEAR HANDLE STUCK IN THE DOWN POS. CONTINUED ON DEP AND CONTACTED DISPATCH AND A PATCH TO MAINT. HAD ECAM MESSAGE LNDG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT. ALSO, AUTOFLT, NO AUTOTHROTTLES. NO FURTHER ECAM MESSAGE AS MENTIONED IN IRREGULARS ABOUT WHEEL. MAINT SAID IT IS POSSIBLE THE NOSE GEAR IS TURNED 90 DEGS OR MISSING. NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE POPPED. DECIDED TO DIVERT TO LOS ANGELES FOR MAINT, LONGER RWY. WX IN SFO WAS IFR, FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS HIGH. ADVISED FLT ATTENDANT OF CABIN ADVISORY. DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, BUT TWR TREATED IT AS SUCH FOR HANDLING. MADE A FLY-BY TO CHK GEAR. 2 ACFT ON TXWY CONFIRMED ALL LOOKED NORMAL. CAPT PROCEEDED TO LAND WITH NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. TAXIED ONTO TXWY B AND SEVERAL COMPANY MECHS STOPPED US AND PLUGGED IN. SAID THEY WERE THERE TO PIN THE GEAR. AFTER A MOMENT, THEY SAID OK AND GAVE ME THE SALUTE AND RELEASE. TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 605286: PERFORMED WALKAROUND ON ACFT FOR EARLY MORNING DEP. I SAW NO FLAGS AND THE ACFT APPEARED NORMAL. ON TKOF, WE NOTICED A LOUDER THAN NORMAL THUMP HITTING THE 'TURTLES' ON THE CTRLINE LIGHTING SYS. WE GOT A LONG GEAR SHOCK ABSORBER FAULT ECAM FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY AN AUTOFLT AUTOTHROTTLES ANGLE AT SAN. WE DECIDED TO HEAD N TO LAX WHILE WORKING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT TO ADDRESS THE GEAR ISSUES. AFTER SHUTDOWN, MAINT TOLD US THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT REGISTER FULLY EXTENDED, SO THAT WAS WHY THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.

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.