What happened
On an unnamed date, a Rutaca Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD80, registration YV648T, departed from General Manuel Carlos Piar International Airport (SVPR) in Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, bound for Maiquetia International Airport (SVMI). The flight was carrying 89 passengers and 8 crew members.
Shortly after takeoff from runway 08, the captain instructed the first officer to retract the landing gear. The first officer observed that the landing gear lever remained partially engaged and failed to complete its normal retraction cycle. Following established procedures, the crew climbed to 2,000 feet and performed the necessary checks outlined in the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH). When the malfunction could not be corrected, the captain decided to return to the departure airport.
The aircraft successfully performed a landing on runway 08 at Puerto Ordaz. All passengers and crew members were unharmed, and the aircraft sustained no damage during the landing, though the mechanical failure persisted.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the Gear Handle Position Interlock mechanism. Inspectors examined the landing gear lever assembly and identified a piece of foreign object debris (FOD) obstructing the movement. Specifically, the mirror from the first officer's compass was found lodged within the retraction lever mechanism. Maintenance personnel subsequently removed the debris, reinstalled the compass mirror, and performed successful operational tests of the landing gear extension and retraction cycles.