Narrative:

Upon arrival at the aircraft the inbound captain informed us of a maintenance discrepancy involving the power levers. Maintenance was required to taxi the airplane to an engine run-up area and perform an engine run-up; gear pins were installed. (Flight crew was not on-board nor did they participate in the taxi or engine run). After completion of the engine run the aircraft returned to the gate; the discrepancy was signed off; and the aircraft returned to service. In the interest of saving time; the captain performed the cockpit safety check while I began the exterior pre-flight. At the onset of the pre-flight; I noticed the nose gear pin was installed. I immediately halted the pre-flight and went up to the cockpit to inform the captain. The captain confirmed the gear pins were not in the cockpit and the log-book had not been returned yet to verify. When maintenance returned with the log-book; we informed the mechanic of the gear pins to which he remarked that he had forgotten about them and that it would have been a short flight. He immediately went down and removed the pins and returned them to the cockpit; I then performed a complete exterior pre-flight inspection. When reviewing the log-book later (we were interrupted several times by the gate agent; rampers; ATC; and flight attendants between receiving the log book and prior to 'door close'); we noted that there was no entry for installing or removing the pins. Despite being at the end of a long 4-day trip with numerous re-schedules and dealing with weather/de-icing etc and numerous interruptions of our pre-flight routine with amendments to the passenger and baggage load; a revised ATC clearance; and the normal pre-flight commotion; we were able to catch the error regardless of the failure of the logbook entry. However; the entry is required for a reason and is an important safeguard. The nose gear pin flag was not immediately noticed and 'blended' with the nose wheel steering bypass pin flag; most likely do to it's close proximity; congested space; and grease; dirt and oil fading it's 'attention getting' red.the flight was very late and the maintenance procedure was 'out of the ordinary' (maintenance seemed uncertain of what was required to correct the discrepancy) which likely disrupted the 'normal maintenance flow'. However; the procedure of making the log-book entry was not complied with; removing an important safeguard to inadvertently departing with gear pins installed. Why is it when maintenance taxis an airplane they need to install gear pins yet pilots taxi them all day long without them? Not requiring maintenance to pin the gear for taxi would have prevented the pins from being left in. Keep gear pin flags clean and use a different color/style for the gear pin and the steering bypass pin. Use the attached steering bypass pin and not a ramp bypass pin when using the gear pin. Require a placard be placed in a prominent and 'interfering' position in the cockpit when pins are installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 First Officer discovers that the gear pins have been installed during a maintenance procedure; without the required log book entry. The nose gear pin flag was barely noticeable as it blended with the steering bypass pin flag in the same area.

Narrative: Upon arrival at the aircraft the inbound Captain informed us of a maintenance discrepancy involving the power levers. Maintenance was required to taxi the airplane to an engine run-up area and perform an engine run-up; gear pins were installed. (Flight crew was not on-board nor did they participate in the taxi or engine run). After completion of the engine run the aircraft returned to the gate; the discrepancy was signed off; and the aircraft returned to service. In the interest of saving time; the Captain performed the Cockpit Safety Check while I began the Exterior Pre-Flight. At the onset of the pre-flight; I noticed the nose gear pin was installed. I immediately halted the pre-flight and went up to the cockpit to inform the Captain. The Captain confirmed the gear pins were not in the cockpit and the log-book had not been returned yet to verify. When Maintenance returned with the log-book; we informed the mechanic of the gear pins to which he remarked that he had forgotten about them and that it would have been a short flight. He immediately went down and removed the pins and returned them to the cockpit; I then performed a complete exterior pre-flight inspection. When reviewing the log-book later (we were interrupted several times by the gate agent; rampers; ATC; and Flight Attendants between receiving the log book and prior to 'door close'); we noted that there was no entry for installing or removing the pins. Despite being at the end of a long 4-day trip with numerous re-schedules and dealing with weather/de-icing etc and numerous interruptions of our pre-flight routine with amendments to the passenger and baggage load; a revised ATC Clearance; and the normal pre-flight commotion; we were able to catch the error regardless of the failure of the logbook entry. However; the entry is required for a reason and is an important safeguard. The nose gear pin flag was not immediately noticed and 'blended' with the nose wheel steering bypass pin flag; most likely do to it's close proximity; congested space; and grease; dirt and oil fading it's 'attention getting' red.The flight was very late and the maintenance procedure was 'out of the ordinary' (Maintenance seemed uncertain of what was required to correct the discrepancy) which likely disrupted the 'normal maintenance flow'. However; the procedure of making the log-book entry was not complied with; removing an important safeguard to inadvertently departing with gear pins installed. Why is it when Maintenance taxis an airplane they need to install gear pins yet pilots taxi them all day long without them? Not requiring Maintenance to pin the gear for taxi would have prevented the pins from being left in. Keep gear pin flags clean and use a different color/style for the gear pin and the steering bypass pin. Use the attached steering bypass pin and not a ramp bypass pin when using the gear pin. Require a placard be placed in a prominent and 'interfering' position in the cockpit when pins are installed.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.