B727 GEAR FAILS TO RETRACT ON TKOF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative

ON SEP/WED/95; I WAS A CREW MEMBER (FE) ON A FLT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED AS A 'SPECIAL' TO OAK AND BACK. BEING MY FIRST MONTH ON THE LINE; THIS WAS MY SECOND RESERVE FLT SINCE THE COMPLETION OF IOE EARLIER IN THE MONTH. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 727 FLT MANUAL; I PERFORMED MY COCKPIT SAFETY CHKS AND REVIEWED ACFT 479'S; ACFT DISCREPANCY LOGBOOK; SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT TRENDS; OPEN OR DEFERRED WRITE-UPS; AND THE SVC CHK DATE. FROM THERE; THE PREFLT AND GND OPS WERE UNEVENTFUL WITH GOOD CREW COORD. ONCE AIRBORNE AND 'POSITIVE RATE OF CLB;' THE FO CALLED FOR THE 'GEAR UP.' THE CAPT ATTEMPTED BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS DUE TO AN OBVIOUS FAILURE OF THE LNDG GEAR LEVER LATCH FAILING TO RELEASE. THE SIT WAS IMMEDIATELY STABILIZED; AND THE CAPT ELECTED TO NOTIFY TWR FOR AN AIR RETURN WITH 3 DOWN AND LOCKED. THE APPROPRIATE PROC WAS WORKED THROUGH BTWN THE CAPT AND THE SO IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE PROB. WITH THE GEAR DOWN; WE FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG TO THE SAME DEP RWY. UPON TAXIING BACK AND SHUT DOWN CHKLIST COMPLETE; MAINT INFORMED US OF PREVIOUS PROBS WITH THE GND PROX SWITCH AND THAT THE ACFT REQUIRED A VISIT TO THE HANGAR. FURTHERMORE; THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO NOTICE THE MISSING MAINT SIGNATURE ON THE CLOSED DISCREPANCY FORM REGARDING WITH THE PREVIOUS PROBS.