AN MD88 ACR FLC HAD TO HAVE THE R FUEL TANK QUANTITY VERIFIED VIA A DRIP STICK PROC WHICH IN TURN REQUIRED THE FORWARD GEAR DOORS TO BE OPENED MANUALLY. THE DOORS WERE NOT RECLOSED BEFORE TKOF AND DURING GEAR RETRACTION A DOOR ACTUATOR FAILED.

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I WAS THE CAPT OF AN ACR MD88 DEPARTING FROM TPA TO CVG. WE HAD A FULL ACFT (148 PAX). DURING ACFT FUELING IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE R FUEL GAUGE WAS INOP; BOTH IN THE COCKPIT AND AT THE REFUELING STATION. THE FUEL GAUGE WAS DEFERRED AND THE R TANK QUANTITY WAS VERIFIED BY DRIPPING THE R TANK. THIS PROC REQUIRED THE NOSEGEAR DOORS TO BE MANUALLY OPENED. THE FO HAD ALREADY COMPLETED HIS WALKAROUND PRIOR TO THE FUELING PROB. PUSHBACK AND ENG START OF THE L ENG (SINGLE ENG TAXI) WERE NORMAL. JUST PRIOR TO DISCONNECT FROM THE TUG; THE TUG DRIVER STATED THAT THE NOSEGEAR DOORS WERE OPEN. I THINK THAT I WAS TAKEN BY SURPRISE BY THIS AND DID NOT VISUALIZE THAT HE MEANT THAT THE FORWARD GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN. I ALSO DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RELATE THE GEAR DOORS WITH THE DRIP CHK FUELING PROC. I THINK I DISMISSED HIM WITH A 'ROGER' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. THE DRIVER DISCONNECTED HIS HEADSET AND STARTED TO PULL AWAY. I STARTED TO OPEN MY SLIDING WINDOW; TO CALL HIM BACK TO CLOSE THE DOORS. HOWEVER; A SHORT DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE DURING THIS TIME BTWN THE FO AND ME AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT EVEN IF THE DOORS WERE OPEN; THEY WOULD CLOSE AS PART OF THE NORMAL GEAR-UP CYCLE. SO; RATHER THAN CALLING THE GND CREW BACK; WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR TAXI; R ENG START; AND TKOF. EVERYTHING PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL THE GEAR WAS RAISED. AFTER THE GEAR RETRACTED; A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE WAS HEARD WHICH SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE NOSEGEAR AREA. ALL GEAR INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. I IMMEDIATELY ASSOCIATED THE PROB WITH THE NOSEGEAR DOORS. THE LNDG GEAR WAS RECYCLED; HOWEVER; THE PROB STILL REMAINED. WE WERE VECTORED BACK TO THE TPA ARPT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. IT WAS DETERMINED BY MAINT THAT THE L NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR HAD FAILED. HAD I TAKEN THE TIME TO HAVE THE GND CREW MANUALLY CLOSE THE GEAR DOORS; THIS PROB PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE DOOR ACTUATOR MAY HAVE FAILED ANYWAY. BUT AFTER ANALYZING AND RE-ANALYZING MY ACTIONS; I CAN THINK OF NO GOOD REASON(S) WHY I DID NOT HAVE THE GND CREW CLOSE THE DOORS. THE UNEXPECTED CALL FROM THE GND CREW JUST PRIOR TO TUG RELEASE AND OUR ASSERTION THAT THE DOORS WOULD CLOSE NORMALLY PERHAPS CONTRIBUTED. HOWEVER; IF I WAS SEATED IN A ROOM WITH SOME PLT FRIENDS AND SOMEONE HAD BROUGHT UP THIS SCENARIO; THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT MY SUGGESTED ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE THE DOORS CLOSED REGARDLESS OF ANY DELAYS. I HAVE OVER 10000 HRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE AND ABOUT 3000 HRS IN TYPE (ALL 3000 AS PIC). I HAVE CONFRONTED MANY PROBS MORE DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX THAN THIS ONE. I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHY I CHOSE THE COURSE OF ACTION THAT I TOOK.