FLC OF AN LGT DUMPED FUEL AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER BEING UNSUCCESSFUL IN RETRACTING THE NOSE GEAR DUE TO NOSEWHEEL GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED.

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AFTER TKOF FROM KEWR; NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. SEVERAL CYCLES WERE ATTEMPTED TO NO AVAIL. WE DUMPED APPROX 20000 LBS OF FUEL AND RETURNED TO NEWARK. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND THE NOSE GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED. AFTER REFUELING; THE FLT CONTINUED TO ITS PLANNED DEST UNEVENTFULLY. I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO PUSH TIME AND PERFORMED A THOROUGH PREFLT AND WALKAROUND. I DID NOT SEE ANY PINS/FLAGS ON ANY GEAR. I LEFT THE ACFT FOR 15-20 MINS TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER THINGS. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ACFT; I DID A SECOND CURSORY WALKAROUND TO GET A STATUS OF HOW PRE-DEP ACTIVITIES AROUND THE ACFT WERE PROGRESSING. AGAIN I SAW NO DISCREPANCIES ALTHOUGH I WASN'T LOOKING TOO SPECIFICALLY THIS SECOND TIME AROUND. I ARRIVED AT THE COCKPIT AND REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK. I SAW WHERE MAINT HAD INSTALLED THE GEAR PINS TO TAXI THE ACFT TO THE GATE -- THERE WAS ALSO THE NOTATION 'REMOVED AND STOWED ALL 3 GEAR PINS.' I GLANCED IN OUR PIN HOLDER BAG IN THE COCKPIT AND SAW THAT IT HAD PINS AND FLAGS IN THE BAG BUT; DUE TO THEIR DIRTY/GREASY CONDITION; I DID NOT REMOVE THEM AND COUNT THEM. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A PIN WAS INSTALLED BASED ON MY WALKAROUND; THE LOGBOOK ENTRY INDICATING THEY HAD BEEN REMOVED; AND THAT THE PIN BAG APPEARED FULL. I CONTEND THAT THE PIN WAS NOT INSTALLED ON MY INITIAL WALKAROUND. HOWEVER; BY WHOM; AND WHEN THE PIN WAS INSTALLED I DO NOT KNOW. THERE HAVE BEEN LABOR ISSUES RECENTLY THAT HAS CAUSED SOME CONTENTION BTWN THE PLTS AND THE GND CREWS. I ACCUSE NOBODY BUT OFFER THIS ONLY AS A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE REMOVED THE GEAR PINS FROM THE BAG AND COUNTED THEM. WHEN THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT; I DISCOVERED ONLY 2 PINS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 3. A VETERAN CAPT I DISCUSSED THIS WITH SAID HE COULD COUNT ON ONE HAND THE ENGINEERS THAT HE HAD EVER SEEN EMPTY THE PIN BAG AND COUNT EACH INDIVIDUAL PIN. IT'S NOT TYPICALLY DONE ON THE LINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 309295: AFTER HAVING NOSE GEAR MAINT DONE; ACFT TOOK OFF WITH THE NOSE GEAR SAFETY PIN STILL INSTALLED. GEAR COULD NOT BE RETRACTED THEREFORE CAUSING THE ACFT TO AIR RETURN. THE GEAR PIN WAS NOT REMOVED BECAUSE A LOG ITEM WAS NOT INITIATED FOR THE GEAR PIN INSTALLATION. ALSO A LACK OF COM BTWN TURNOVER ON WHO WAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGN OFF OF PAPER WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT BUT DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TO HIM. HOWEVER; THE COMPANY ADMINISTERED A PROFICIENCY AND LINE CHK TO HIM AS A ROUTINE TO SATISFY THE OVERSIGHT ON HIS PART AS THE FE (SO) SINCE HE DID ADVISE THE CAPT THAT THERE WERE 3 PINS IN THE BAG DURING PRE-TKOF CHKLIST. HE ADVISED THAT THE COMPANY HAD SUSPENDED THE MECH INVOLVED FOR A FEW DAYS FOR NOT REMOVING THE PINS AFTER MAINT RETURNED THE ACFT (A B727-200) TO THE GATE FOR SVC.