A DASH 8-100 WAS DISPATCHED AND FLOWN WITH THE NOSE GEAR PUSHBACK ADAPTER INSTALLED.

Narrative

COMPANY UTILIZES RAMP PUSHBACK OP. PUSHBACK OPERATOR LEFT DHC-8 NOSEWHEEL ADAPTER ON ACFT. ACFT DEPARTED ZZZ NORMALLY. ALL OPS OF LNDG GEAR (NOSE GEAR) APPEARED NORMAL. NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR VIBRATIONS FELT DURING RETRACTION AND EXTENSION OF LNDG GEAR. NOTICED ADAPTER ON NOSEWHEEL GEAR AFTER ARR AT DEST. I PROCEEDED TO REMOVE ADAPTER; INSPECTED THE GEAR AND WHEEL WELL AREA. NOTHING ABNORMAL NOTED. SINCE NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTED DURING PREVIOUS OP AND AFTER LNDG; OPERATED ACFT BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. NOTIFIED ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT OF INCIDENT; AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE PROC TO PREVENT FURTHER OCCURRENCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ADAPTER IS A SMALL PLATE THAT LOCKS INTO THE NOSE GEAR AXLE TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO BE WINCHED ONTO AN ELECTRIC PUSHBACK CART PLATFORM WHICH IS RAISED ABOUT 6 INCHES AND ALLOWS THE ACFT TO PUSH AND CTL THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE MANUFACTURER; DEHAVILLAND; ENGINEERED THIS ADAPTER SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE OR RESTRICT THE NOSE GEAR IN ANY MANNER. THE RPTR STATES THE PUSHBACK PROC HAS BEEN FINE TUNED TO HAVE THE CART OPERATOR HOLD UP THE ADAPTER FOR VERIFICATION BY THE FLC THAT THE PUSHBACK PROC IS COMPLETE AND ADAPTER REMOVED.