An MD83 on takeoff climb at 500 ft declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport due t...

Attributes
ACN	686051
Time
Date	200601
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	686051
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Unable to retract nose gear after takeoff. Both main gear indicated up and retracted. Nose gear indicated not up and retracted with red gear light. Continuous aircraft vibration and much higher noise level in cockpit -- much more than normal. Nose gear remained red -- indicating not fully up and retracted. We continued climb to 8000 ft MSL -- kept aircraft speed below 230 KTS initially; configured aircraft for slower speed and selected 210 KTS at leveloff. Received vectors from departure control to give us time to take out and complete QRH procedure. After completing checklist -- all instrument indications for all system indicated normal with all 3 gear down and locked. We received vectors for approach and arrival to return and land at ZZZ. Flight attendants and passenger were briefed through PA's and interphone on condition and plan to return and land at ZZZ. Landing weight was approximately 126000 pounds. An emergency was declared to ensure any and all back-up equipment was in place in the event problems were incurred upon landing. Tower was specifically asked to provide visual verification that nose gear was down -- that verification was received on short final. Landing was uneventful. Tower was again asked to verify nose gear position after landing while still on runway -- and response was; it looked normal. Based on feel of tiller and brake pedals; and landing roll; decision was made to taxi clear of runway at a very slow taxi speed. Upon initial inspection of nose at gate by maintenance; nose gear strut appeared to be bottomed out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the cause of the nose gear unsafe light and the vibration was the nose gear was flat. The nose gear wheels were not centered and the nose gear doors would not close. The reporter did not know the maintenance action taken after return to the departure station.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 ON TKOF CLB AT 500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT DUE TO INABILITY TO RETRACT NOSE LNDG GEAR AND VIBRATION.

Narrative: UNABLE TO RETRACT NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF. BOTH MAIN GEAR INDICATED UP AND RETRACTED. NOSE GEAR INDICATED NOT UP AND RETRACTED WITH RED GEAR LIGHT. CONTINUOUS ACFT VIBRATION AND MUCH HIGHER NOISE LEVEL IN COCKPIT -- MUCH MORE THAN NORMAL. NOSE GEAR REMAINED RED -- INDICATING NOT FULLY UP AND RETRACTED. WE CONTINUED CLB TO 8000 FT MSL -- KEPT ACFT SPD BELOW 230 KTS INITIALLY; CONFIGURED ACFT FOR SLOWER SPD AND SELECTED 210 KTS AT LEVELOFF. RECEIVED VECTORS FROM DEP CTL TO GIVE US TIME TO TAKE OUT AND COMPLETE QRH PROC. AFTER COMPLETING CHKLIST -- ALL INST INDICATIONS FOR ALL SYS INDICATED NORMAL WITH ALL 3 GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. WE RECEIVED VECTORS FOR APCH AND ARR TO RETURN AND LAND AT ZZZ. FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WERE BRIEFED THROUGH PA'S AND INTERPHONE ON CONDITION AND PLAN TO RETURN AND LAND AT ZZZ. LNDG WT WAS APPROX 126000 LBS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED TO ENSURE ANY AND ALL BACK-UP EQUIP WAS IN PLACE IN THE EVENT PROBS WERE INCURRED UPON LNDG. TWR WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKED TO PROVIDE VISUAL VERIFICATION THAT NOSE GEAR WAS DOWN -- THAT VERIFICATION WAS RECEIVED ON SHORT FINAL. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. TWR WAS AGAIN ASKED TO VERIFY NOSE GEAR POS AFTER LNDG WHILE STILL ON RWY -- AND RESPONSE WAS; IT LOOKED NORMAL. BASED ON FEEL OF TILLER AND BRAKE PEDALS; AND LNDG ROLL; DECISION WAS MADE TO TAXI CLR OF RWY AT A VERY SLOW TAXI SPD. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION OF NOSE AT GATE BY MAINT; NOSE GEAR STRUT APPEARED TO BE BOTTOMED OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT AND THE VIBRATION WAS THE NOSE GEAR WAS FLAT. THE NOSE GEAR WHEELS WERE NOT CTRED AND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE RPTR DID NOT KNOW THE MAINT ACTION TAKEN AFTER RETURN TO THE DEP STATION.

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.

An MD83 on takeoff climb at 500 ft declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport due to inability to retract nose landing gear and vibration.