Narrative:

Incident which occurred on apr/sat/05. Aircraft arrived at XA22; gate X. At this point I met the aircraft by myself. My assistant started work at XC00. I proceeded to do a walkaround then met the inbound crew and was briefed on the status of the aircraft. At approximately XB10; company tug arrived. At this point I prepared aircraft for repositioning. I installed bypass pin and all main landing gear and nose landing gear pins. The tug was then secured to the aircraft. At approximately XB20 we started to reposition the aircraft from gate X to gate Y. We arrived at gate Y at approximately XB30. We then secured the aircraft with wheel chocks and the tug was disconnected from aircraft and left. I requested a gpu from company so that I could shut down APU. I waited several mins and then proceeded to go downstairs to remove the gear pins. During the main gear pin removal; I was called several times to see if gpu was working properly. During this time I was also advised by ramp personnel that they found a scratch at aft cargo door. I went to inspect the door and found that the paint scratch was there when the aircraft arrived with a report on the same scratch. At this point; I took the gear pins and proceeded to the cockpit to place them in their respective compartments. Not realizing that the nose pin was still installed; I continued with preflight service check and continued to repair cabin items. At approximately XD15 we started to fuel the aircraft and during this time we attended to any discrepancies that were brought to our attention by cabin crews. At approximately XE35 we performed our final walkaround to check all access panels and doors for security. My assistant performed headset communication with outbound crew. The aircraft departed at XE44. At approximately XF30 we received a call from operations stating that aircraft was returning back because of landing gear problems. The aircraft returned at XF53. During my investigation; I realized the nose landing gear pin was still installed. I removed the nose landing gear pin; inspected nose landing gear area -- no defects were noted. The aircraft was then refueled. Performed final checks and aircraft departed at XG47. I believe several factors were the cause of this mishap. During my gear pin retrieval; I was called several times to attend to other matters in which I feel became a distraction and causing nose gear pin to be left behind. Also; not having another technician to help with the workload during aircraft arrival may also have been a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A340-300 WAS DISPATCHED AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD WITH A NOSE GEAR RETRACTION PROB. FOUND NOSE GEAR PINNED FOR ACFT TOWING AND NOT REMOVED.

Narrative: INCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON APR/SAT/05. ACFT ARRIVED AT XA22; GATE X. AT THIS POINT I MET THE ACFT BY MYSELF. MY ASSISTANT STARTED WORK AT XC00. I PROCEEDED TO DO A WALKAROUND THEN MET THE INBOUND CREW AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE STATUS OF THE ACFT. AT APPROX XB10; COMPANY TUG ARRIVED. AT THIS POINT I PREPARED ACFT FOR REPOSITIONING. I INSTALLED BYPASS PIN AND ALL MAIN LNDG GEAR AND NOSE LNDG GEAR PINS. THE TUG WAS THEN SECURED TO THE ACFT. AT APPROX XB20 WE STARTED TO REPOSITION THE ACFT FROM GATE X TO GATE Y. WE ARRIVED AT GATE Y AT APPROX XB30. WE THEN SECURED THE ACFT WITH WHEEL CHOCKS AND THE TUG WAS DISCONNECTED FROM ACFT AND LEFT. I REQUESTED A GPU FROM COMPANY SO THAT I COULD SHUT DOWN APU. I WAITED SEVERAL MINS AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GO DOWNSTAIRS TO REMOVE THE GEAR PINS. DURING THE MAIN GEAR PIN REMOVAL; I WAS CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF GPU WAS WORKING PROPERLY. DURING THIS TIME I WAS ALSO ADVISED BY RAMP PERSONNEL THAT THEY FOUND A SCRATCH AT AFT CARGO DOOR. I WENT TO INSPECT THE DOOR AND FOUND THAT THE PAINT SCRATCH WAS THERE WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED WITH A RPT ON THE SAME SCRATCH. AT THIS POINT; I TOOK THE GEAR PINS AND PROCEEDED TO THE COCKPIT TO PLACE THEM IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPARTMENTS. NOT REALIZING THAT THE NOSE PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED; I CONTINUED WITH PREFLT SVC CHK AND CONTINUED TO REPAIR CABIN ITEMS. AT APPROX XD15 WE STARTED TO FUEL THE ACFT AND DURING THIS TIME WE ATTENDED TO ANY DISCREPANCIES THAT WERE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN BY CABIN CREWS. AT APPROX XE35 WE PERFORMED OUR FINAL WALKAROUND TO CHK ALL ACCESS PANELS AND DOORS FOR SECURITY. MY ASSISTANT PERFORMED HEADSET COM WITH OUTBOUND CREW. THE ACFT DEPARTED AT XE44. AT APPROX XF30 WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OPS STATING THAT ACFT WAS RETURNING BACK BECAUSE OF LNDG GEAR PROBS. THE ACFT RETURNED AT XF53. DURING MY INVESTIGATION; I REALIZED THE NOSE LNDG GEAR PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED. I REMOVED THE NOSE LNDG GEAR PIN; INSPECTED NOSE LNDG GEAR AREA -- NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED. THE ACFT WAS THEN REFUELED. PERFORMED FINAL CHKS AND ACFT DEPARTED AT XG47. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS WERE THE CAUSE OF THIS MISHAP. DURING MY GEAR PIN RETRIEVAL; I WAS CALLED SEVERAL TIMES TO ATTEND TO OTHER MATTERS IN WHICH I FEEL BECAME A DISTR AND CAUSING NOSE GEAR PIN TO BE LEFT BEHIND. ALSO; NOT HAVING ANOTHER TECHNICIAN TO HELP WITH THE WORKLOAD DURING ACFT ARR MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.