Narrative:

I was the first officer and PF on a scheduled airline flight out of ZZZ. After departure; the captain performed the after takeoff checklist and we noticed that the nose gear unsafe light was illuminated. All other gear indications were normal for gear retracted; and there was no unusual noise or vibration. We coordinated with center to level off and slow down; and then the captain performed the checklist for unsafe gear indication - gear handle up. At this point the captain had xferred responsibility for ATC communication to me and the autoplt was engaged. Per the checklist; the captain lowered the landing gear; and all indications were normal for gear extended; except we still had the nose gear unsafe red light illuminated. The MD88 has a mechanical indicator in the cockpit for nose gear position; and it was in the nose gear down and locked position. Since we had conflicting indications of the nose gear position; the captain contacted dispatch and maintenance over the radio and discussed the problem with them. They decided that leaving the gear extended and not recycling it was best; and that we should return to ZZZ. We coordinated with ATC for a return and the captain declared an emergency since we were not sure of the status of the nose landing gear. We completed the checklist for unsafe gear indication -- gear handle down. The captain briefed the passenger and flight attendants on our landing. We coordinated with tower and emergency personnel to overfly runway with the approach lights turned up to high; so they could try and see the position of our nose gear. Several observers on the ground said our nose gear appeared to be down and locked. Tower requested we land on runway X for traffic considerations. We flew an uneventful visual approach and landed safely. We exited on taxiway where we were met by emergency personnel. We still had a nose gear unsafe indication; so we had maintenance come out and install the gear pins before we taxied to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW REPORTS UNSAFE NOSE GEAR INDICATION AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. ACFT IS RETURNED TO DEPARTURE ARPT WITH UNSAFE WARNING; BUT WITH THE MECHANICAL PIN INDICATING SAFE.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO AND PF ON A SCHEDULED AIRLINE FLT OUT OF ZZZ. AFTER DEP; THE CAPT PERFORMED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND WE NOTICED THAT THE NOSE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. ALL OTHER GEAR INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL FOR GEAR RETRACTED; AND THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL NOISE OR VIBRATION. WE COORDINATED WITH CTR TO LEVEL OFF AND SLOW DOWN; AND THEN THE CAPT PERFORMED THE CHKLIST FOR UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION - GEAR HANDLE UP. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT HAD XFERRED RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATC COM TO ME AND THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. PER THE CHKLIST; THE CAPT LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR; AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL FOR GEAR EXTENDED; EXCEPT WE STILL HAD THE NOSE GEAR UNSAFE RED LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MD88 HAS A MECHANICAL INDICATOR IN THE COCKPIT FOR NOSE GEAR POS; AND IT WAS IN THE NOSE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED POS. SINCE WE HAD CONFLICTING INDICATIONS OF THE NOSE GEAR POS; THE CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT OVER THE RADIO AND DISCUSSED THE PROB WITH THEM. THEY DECIDED THAT LEAVING THE GEAR EXTENDED AND NOT RECYCLING IT WAS BEST; AND THAT WE SHOULD RETURN TO ZZZ. WE COORDINATED WITH ATC FOR A RETURN AND THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER SINCE WE WERE NOT SURE OF THE STATUS OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST FOR UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION -- GEAR HANDLE DOWN. THE CAPT BRIEFED THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS ON OUR LNDG. WE COORDINATED WITH TWR AND EMER PERSONNEL TO OVERFLY RWY WITH THE APCH LIGHTS TURNED UP TO HIGH; SO THEY COULD TRY AND SEE THE POS OF OUR NOSE GEAR. SEVERAL OBSERVERS ON THE GND SAID OUR NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED. TWR REQUESTED WE LAND ON RUNWAY X FOR TFC CONSIDERATIONS. WE FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH AND LANDED SAFELY. WE EXITED ON TXWY WHERE WE WERE MET BY EMER PERSONNEL. WE STILL HAD A NOSE GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION; SO WE HAD MAINT COME OUT AND INSTALL THE GEAR PINS BEFORE WE TAXIED TO THE GATE.

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.