LNDG GEAR INDICATED UP WHILE LNDG GEAR HANDLE AND VIBRATION AND LACK OF PERFORMANCE INDICATED LNDG GEAR DOWN. FO SUGGESTED RETURNING TO LAND WHEN ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. CAPT ELECTED TO PROCEED TO ORIGINAL DEST.

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AFTER NORMAL TKOF; INITIAL CLB; AND COMPLETION OF AFTER TKOF CHKLIST; FLC NOTICED RELATIVELY POOR CLB PERFORMANCE; LOWER THAN NORMAL AIRSPD; AND WHAT FELT LIKE AIRFRAME VIBRATION. VERIFIED ENG PWR WAS NORMAL; FLAPS AND GEAR INDICATED UP. 'FLAPS UP' CALL IS MADE ACCELERATING THROUGH 120 KTS AND GEAR LIGHTS OUT (UP). CONCERNED THAT A FLT SURFACE WAS LOOSE AND /OR SOMETHING WAS CREATING EXCESS DRAG; THE CREW DECIDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. AN EMER WAS DECLARED SINCE CAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE AND VIBRATION WERE UNKNOWN. WHILE CONDUCTING LNDG CHKLIST; DISCOVERED LNDG GEAR HANDLE ALREADY IN DOWN POS AND GEAR DOWN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. RETRACTED GEAR; DECLARED ACFT SAFE TO CONTINUE AND PROCEEDED TO ORIGINAL DEST. PERFORMANCE RETURNED TO NORMAL AND VIBRATION DECREASED. AFTER DEPLANING PAX AT DEST; CONFERRED WITH MAINT; DESCRIBED EVENT IN MAINT LOGBOOK; AND FERRIED ACFT TO MAINT BASE FOR INSPECTION/REPAIR. OBSERVATIONS: AIRFRAME VIBRATION WAS APPARENTLY FROM OPEN NOSE GEAR DOORS WHICH WERE EXPOSED TO MORE DRAG IN CLB ATTITUDE. (METROLINER III NOSE GEAR DOORS STAY OPEN WHEN GEAR IS EXTENDED.) ALTHOUGH SEVERAL CHKS OF GEAR INDICATOR WERE MADE DURING EVENT; THE POS OF THE GEAR HANDLE WAS NEVER CONSCIOUSLY NOTED. IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE AND POS ON THE LOWER L SIDE OF THE CTR CONSOLE MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE; ESPECIALLY FROM THE LEFT PLT'S SEAT. ADDITIONALLY; GEAR HANDLE MOVES VERTICALLY ONLY 1 INCH TO 1 1/2 INCHES AND HAS NO INTERNAL GEAR POS LIGHTS. HOW OR WHEN GEAR HANDLE BECAME IN DOWN POS WAS UNDETERMINED. FIRST LEG IN ACFT BY FLC. PREVIOUS ACFT PERFORMED ALMOST AS POORLY WITH GEAR UP; CONTRIBUTING TO SLOW RECOGNITION OF POOR PERFORMANCE. CREW WAS ALSO DISTRACTED TRYING TO TROUBLE- SHOOT LOUD HISSING CABIN BLEED NOISE DURING CLB. LNDG GEAR WAS WRITTEN UP BY ANOTHER FLC THE PREVIOUS DAY 'GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT.' NOT KNOWN IF EVENT WAS RELATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 279012: I SHOWED JUDGEMENT ERROR BY NOT STICKING WITH MY INSTINCTS AND BEING PERSISTENT THAT WE CYCLE THE GEAR. THE CAPT SHOWED POOR JUDGEMENT BY NOT LISTENING TO THE FO; AND CONTINUING TO TWR.