MD11 returns to departure airport when center gear fails to retract.

Attributes
ACN	700973
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	700973
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : lndg gear light other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

When we took off from ZZZ the center gear would not retract. We did the appropriate procedure and the gear still would not retract. We returned to ZZZ for an uneventful landing. When we blocked in it was determined that the center gear pin was still installed. The reason I feel I missed it was that the required streamer was only 2 inches long instead of the required 4 ft making it hard to see. The reason for this report is how I detailed this event in the logbook. I made 1 write-up stating that the gear would not retract. In retrospect I needed to make 2 write-ups; one for the gear and one for the air turn back. By making only 1 write-up I failed to correctly log a required report. I will not make this mistake again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 RETURNS TO DEP ARPT WHEN CTR GEAR FAILS TO RETRACT.

Narrative: WHEN WE TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ THE CTR GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE DID THE APPROPRIATE PROC AND THE GEAR STILL WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE RETURNED TO ZZZ FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. WHEN WE BLOCKED IN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CTR GEAR PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED. THE REASON I FEEL I MISSED IT WAS THAT THE REQUIRED STREAMER WAS ONLY 2 INCHES LONG INSTEAD OF THE REQUIRED 4 FT MAKING IT HARD TO SEE. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS HOW I DETAILED THIS EVENT IN THE LOGBOOK. I MADE 1 WRITE-UP STATING THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. IN RETROSPECT I NEEDED TO MAKE 2 WRITE-UPS; ONE FOR THE GEAR AND ONE FOR THE AIR TURN BACK. BY MAKING ONLY 1 WRITE-UP I FAILED TO CORRECTLY LOG A REQUIRED RPT. I WILL NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN.

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.