A MAIN LNDG GEAR WHEEL DOOR FAILED TO CLOSE AFTER TKOF RESULTING IN A RETURN LAND.

Narrative

BOTH MAIN LNDG GEAR DOORS WERE FOUND TO BE OPEN ON PREFLT WALK AROUND INSPECTION PERFORMED BY SO. SAFETY BYPASS HANDLES WERE PLACED IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS. DURING PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE AND SUBSEQUENT ENG START GEAR DOORS REMAINED OPEN INDICATING THAT THE BYPASS HANDLES HAD NOT BEEN STOWED BY THE GND PERSONNEL PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THE FLC DISCUSSED THE SIT AT THAT TIME AND DECIDED AGAINST HAVING THE PUSHBACK CREW STOW THE HANDLES AT THIS TIME. CONSIDERATIONS AT THIS POINT WERE THE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT OF HAVING AN UNQUALIFIED RAMP WORKER (NO MAINT PERSONNEL WERE INVOLVED WITH THIS PUSHBACK) OPERATING THE GEAR BYPASS HANDLES WITH THE A SYS HYDS PRESSURIZED. THE GEAR DOORS ARE DESIGNED TO RETRACT NORMALLY DURING LNDG GEAR RETRACTION REGARDLESS OF THE POS OF THE BYPASS HANDLES SO THE FLC ELECTED TO CONTINUE OUT FOR TKOF. TKOF WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. AFTER TKOF UPON GEAR RETRACTION; R MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR CLOSED AS ADVERTISED BUT L GEAR DOOR REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED. RETURNED TO MCO WHERE MAINT PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THAT THE L GEAR BYPASS HANDLE HAD A PART BROKEN WHICH PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM RETRACTING. LESSONS LEARNED: A SHORT DELAY AT THE RAMP TO HAVE A QUALIFIED MECH COME OUT TO STOW THE BYPASS HANDLES WOULD HAVE SAVED THE INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE OF AN INFLT ABNORMALITY WHICH LED TO A RETURN TO DEP ARPT.