LTT COMMUTER DEPARTS WITH L GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED. RETURN LAND.

Narrative

ACFT ARRIVED AT RAMP APPROX XA00 AM LCL. I WENT TO PREFLT ACFT; GRABBED A FLASHLIGHT; PROCEEDED TO PREFLT ACFT. UPON REACHING L MAIN GEAR AREA; DID NOT NOTICE GEAR PIN IN LNDG GEAR ASSEMBLY; THOUGHT MAINT MIGHT HAVE PULLED PINS. CONTINUED PREFLT; FOUND PIN IN R MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY; CONTINUED AND COMPLETED PREFLT. WENT BACK TO L MAIN GEAR ASSEMBLY; CLBED ON WHEEL ASSEMBLY. STILL DID NOT NOTICE ANY GEAR PIN. CHK STORAGE AREA IN AIRSTAIR DOOR. DID NOT FIND PIN. WENT BACK TO GEAR ASSEMBLY. STILL DID NOT SEE GEAR PIN. TOLD CAPT THAT I THOUGHT WE WERE MISSING A GEAR PIN. DECIDED TO CALL DISPATCH AND INFORM THEM. THEY SAID TO GO ON WITH THE FLT THAT THEY WOULD FIND ONE FOR US WHEN WE RETURNED. UPON TKOF L MAIN GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. RETURNED TO DTW WITHOUT INCIDENT. MAINT MET ACFT; FOUND PIN IN ASSEMBLY. TRAILING STREAMER ON PIN WAS CAUGHT UPON THE LEDGE OF LNDG GEAR WELL AREA. ALTHOUGH PREFLT WAS COMPLETED IN THE DARK; I DID USE A FLASHLIGHT FOR MY PREFLT. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS WITH THE 'PIN MISSING' AND HAD MAINT CHK ACFT BEFORE DEPARTING GATE AREA. FLUORESCENT STREAMERS ON PIN ASSEMBLY MIGHT MAKE IT MORE VISIBLE. ANY DISCREPANCY FROM NOW ON WILL BE WRITTEN UP AND MAINT CALLED TO VERIFY PROB NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT MAY SEEM. HAVE THE OTHER CREW MEMBER VERIFY PROB BEFORE PROCEEDING AND TAKE ALL THE GUESSWORK OUT OF ANY PROB.