FLC OF AN MDT RETURN TO LAND SINCE THE NOSEWHEEL WOULD NOT RETRACT.

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AFTER TKOF DCA; LNDG GEAR NOSEWHEEL WOULD NOT RETRACT. RETURNED TO DCA FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. NOSEWHEEL DOWN-LOCK WAS NOT RETRACTED DURING PREFLT BY ME; FO. DURING PREFLT I HAD GEAR PINS AND PROP COVERS IN ONE HAND AND FLASHLIGHT AND CHKLIST IN THE OTHER HAND; IT WAS STILL DARK AT XX30 AM. AS I APCHED THE NOSEWHEEL; I NOTICED THE CHOCKS WERE NOT IN. I PUT EVERYTHING IN MY R HAND AND PUT THE CHOCKS IN WITH MY L HAND. I WAS ON THE R SIDE OF THE NOSEWHEEL WHEN I INSPECTED THE TIRES; FLUID LEAKS; OLEO STRUT AND GEAR DOOR CLEAR-WAY; WT SWITCH; OK. THE LNDG LIGHT ASSEMBLY BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE DOWN-LOCK PROTRUDING. AS I STOOD UP AND WALKED AROUND THE NOSE TO INSPECT THE PITOT STATIC PORTS; I SWITCHED THE CHKLIST AND FLASHLIGHT BACK TO MY OTHER HAND. AS I DID THIS I DROPPED THE GEAR PIN. AS I REACHED DOWN FOR THE GEAR PIN; I WAS ALSO LOOKING UP TO SEE IF ANY BUSES WERE COMING SINCE I WAS WALKING INTO THEIR CLEAR-WAY. I STUMBLED AND FELL TOWARD THE PLANE; BRUSHING UP AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE NOSE BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE DOWN-LOCK. DISTRACTED; I CONTINUED TOWARD THE WING AND THE #2 ENG. NORMALLY I LOOK BACK TO DOUBLE-CHK NOSE GEAR DOWN-LOCK BUT I GOT DISTRACTED PULLING THE PROP COVERS OFF #2 AND #1 ENGS AS I JUGGLED THE GEAR PINS AND PROP COVERS; FLASHLIGHT AND CHKLIST. I REMOVED THE GEAR PIN AND BOARDED. I WAS DISTRACTED FROM THE CHKLIST AND PREFLT DUTIES; BY MISPLACED CHOCKS; HANDS FULL; BUS PATH CLEAR-WAY; DROPPING GEAR PIN; CLUMSINESS AND DARKNESS. I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE SNOWBALL EFFECT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PULL ALL GEAR PINS; PROP COVERS AND STOW DOWN-LOCK; PUT THEM IN THE AIRPLANE. THEN I WILL DO A THOROUGH PREFLT.