MAIN GEAR PINS LEFT IN. FLC TECHNIQUE PREFLT PROC.

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ON JAN/SUN/95 AT XA50; THE FO AND I RPTED FOR DUTY TO PERFORM A FLT FROM CVG TO EVV. THE FO PERFORMED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION WHILE I PREPARED THE COCKPIT FOR DEP. WHEN THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED; TOGETHER WE PERFORMED THE ACFT ACCEPTANCE CHKLIST AND THE BEFORE ENG START CHKLIST. WHEN REACHING THE CHKLIST ITEM 'GEAR PINS;' THE FO RESPONDED 'REMOVED.' AFTER WE DEPARTED CVG; I SELECTED 'GEAR UP' AND THE MAIN LNDG GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WE RETURNED TO CVG WITH A NORMAL LNDG. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE TERMINAL GATE; MAINT PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THAT THE SAFETY PINS HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. ONE OF THE PINS DID NOT HAVE A WARNING FLAG; AND THE OTHER PIN'S FLAG WAS NOT VISIBLY DISPLAYED BECAUSE IT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE PIN AND WAS EXTREMELY DIRTY. SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERSIGHT OF THE FO'S INSPECTION WERE: 1) POORLY DISPLAYED GEAR PINS. 2) OUR ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE TERMINAL GATE AND APPEARED TO HAVE FLOWN RECENTLY. (THIS COMPANY ONLY PINS ITS ACFT WHEN PARKED OVERNIGHT.) 3) THE FO HAD MINIMAL REST DUE TO CAR PROBS. TO AVOID THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BRIEF THE FO TO LOOK FOR THE OPEN HOLE FOR THE GEAR PIN RATHER THAN LOOKING FOR THE FLAGS.