B727 RIGHT AFTER TKOF WHEN LNDG GEAR RAISED THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED EXTENDED. FLC RETURNED; LANDED AND FOUND NOSE GEAR PIN STILL INSTALLED. IT WAS REMOVED AND FLT CONTINUED.

Narrative

UPON PUSHBACK AT DTW; GND OPS NORMAL. CAPT RECEIVED SALUTE AND WAS SHOWN NOSE GEAR STEERING PIN. ON TKOF NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. GEAR WAS CYCLED ONCE AND NOSE GEAR REMAINED EXTENDED. GEAR WAS THEN LOWERED AND APCH AND LNDG WERE FLOWN BACK TO DTW WITH GEAR EXTENDED. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE NORMAL; NO EMER WAS DECLARED AT ANY TIME. LNDG WT WAS WELL BELOW MAX LNDG WT FOR THE ACFT. AFTER GATE ARR; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MAINT HAD FAILED TO REMOVE THE NOSE GEAR PIN AND THE FE FAILED TO CATCH THE MISTAKE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE CAPT; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT MAINT TOWED THE ACFT THAT MORNING AND SINCE THE APU WAS PLACARDED INOP HAD TO TO PUT ALL 3 GEAR PINS IN. WHEN THE GEAR PINS WERE REMOVED; THE 2 MAINS WERE PULLED AND THE NOSE GEAR STEERING PIN WAS PULLED INSTEAD OF THE NOSE GEAR LOCKED PIN. THE CREW CHIEF NOTICED THE STEERING PIN MISSING WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AND SENT FOR ANOTHER STEERING PIN AND INSTALLED THE NEW ONE. SO ON PUSHBACK; CAPT RECEIVED SALUTE AND WAS SHOWN THE NEW STEERING PIN. THE DOWN AND LOCKED PIN REMAINED INSTALLED. I PERSONALLY LOOKED AT THE DOWN AND LOCKED PIN AND THE FLAG ATTACHED TO THE PIN WAS WRAPPED IN A TIGHT BALL DUE TO THE COLD WX MAKING IT EVEN HARDER TO DETECT WHILE INSTALLED. A SUGGESTION I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER IS TO HAVE A LONGER STREAMER ATTACHED TO THE NOSE GEAR PIN OF THE B727. THOSE CREW MEMBERS ON THIS ACFT REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT THE PIN IS TO SEE WHEN INSTALLED.