Narrative:

Prior to departure all crew members performed duties and completed checklists as normal company procedure. We departed runway 34. Winds were calm and the runway was dry, WX basic VFR. After takeoff we were unable to get the nose gear to retract, while following the prescribed departure procedure. The second officer began to look through the flight manual abnormal section to address the situation. We recycled the gear several times and the nose gear would not retract. By this time we had received clearance to hold at our present position and altitude (25 NM southeast of yyc VOR at 12000'). The second officer then went back to look through the viewing port to verify the position of the nosegear. It was indeed down and locked. We then verified that we had in the cockpit 3 gear pins as was acknowledged by the second officer during the aircraft receiving checklist. The second officer confirmed that he did not see any pin or flag in the nosewheel on his preflight inspection. We decided to return to calgary, so we received clearance back to runway 34. Upon returning to the gate a fourth pin was discovered to be inserted in the locking mechanism of the nosegear. The ground personnel said they did not see the pin inserted when the hooked up the nose wheel steering after pushback. We refueled and received an amended release and proceeded to houston uneventfully. The contributing factors seem to be different procedures that are used by FBO and air carrier B referencing the towing of aircraft. There was no log book entry made re: the use of gear pins to tow the aircraft to or from the gate. Supplemental information from acn 97074: as the F/east I completed a normal walkaround with no abnormalities noted. The nose gear pin was not observed while inspecting the nose gear wheel well. Supplemental information from acn 97190: after the aircraft was towed to the gate, a maintenance problem with #2 engine/APU isolation valve was discovered. Also during fueling, left tank was overfilled and fuel spill under left wing resulted. These led to gate departure approximately XA30 local. It should also be noted that FBO did the pushback for initial takeoff, and their man did not notice gear pin (or streamer).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TOOK OFF WITH NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. RETURN AND LAND.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP ALL CREW MEMBERS PERFORMED DUTIES AND COMPLETED CHKLISTS AS NORMAL COMPANY PROC. WE DEPARTED RWY 34. WINDS WERE CALM AND THE RWY WAS DRY, WX BASIC VFR. AFTER TKOF WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT, WHILE FOLLOWING THE PRESCRIBED DEP PROC. THE S/O BEGAN TO LOOK THROUGH THE FLT MANUAL ABNORMAL SECTION TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES AND THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. BY THIS TIME WE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO HOLD AT OUR PRESENT POS AND ALT (25 NM SE OF YYC VOR AT 12000'). THE S/O THEN WENT BACK TO LOOK THROUGH THE VIEWING PORT TO VERIFY THE POS OF THE NOSEGEAR. IT WAS INDEED DOWN AND LOCKED. WE THEN VERIFIED THAT WE HAD IN THE COCKPIT 3 GEAR PINS AS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE S/O DURING THE ACFT RECEIVING CHKLIST. THE S/O CONFIRMED THAT HE DID NOT SEE ANY PIN OR FLAG IN THE NOSEWHEEL ON HIS PREFLT INSPECTION. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO CALGARY, SO WE RECEIVED CLRNC BACK TO RWY 34. UPON RETURNING TO THE GATE A FOURTH PIN WAS DISCOVERED TO BE INSERTED IN THE LOCKING MECHANISM OF THE NOSEGEAR. THE GND PERSONNEL SAID THEY DID NOT SEE THE PIN INSERTED WHEN THE HOOKED UP THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING AFTER PUSHBACK. WE REFUELED AND RECEIVED AN AMENDED RELEASE AND PROCEEDED TO HOUSTON UNEVENTFULLY. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS SEEM TO BE DIFFERENT PROCS THAT ARE USED BY FBO AND ACR B REFERENCING THE TOWING OF ACFT. THERE WAS NO LOG BOOK ENTRY MADE RE: THE USE OF GEAR PINS TO TOW THE ACFT TO OR FROM THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 97074: AS THE F/E I COMPLETED A NORMAL WALKAROUND WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. THE NOSE GEAR PIN WAS NOT OBSERVED WHILE INSPECTING THE NOSE GEAR WHEEL WELL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 97190: AFTER THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE GATE, A MAINT PROB WITH #2 ENG/APU ISOLATION VALVE WAS DISCOVERED. ALSO DURING FUELING, LEFT TANK WAS OVERFILLED AND FUEL SPILL UNDER LEFT WING RESULTED. THESE LED TO GATE DEP APPROX XA30 LCL. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT FBO DID THE PUSHBACK FOR INITIAL TKOF, AND THEIR MAN DID NOT NOTICE GEAR PIN (OR STREAMER).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.