FLC OF DASH 8 DEPARTS AND THEN RETURNS BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM TPA TO JAX; WE RADIOED AHEAD TO JAX MAINT TO MEET US AT THE PLANE. AFTER OUR ARR AND THE PAX DEPLANED; I PERFORMED THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. THE MECHS CAME TO THE PLANE AND WE EXPLAINED THAT ON THE CLBOUT FROM TPA THAT THE AUTOFEATHER ARM LIGHT HAD FLICKERED OFF AND ON. APPROX 10 MINS LATER; THE MECHS RETURNED SAYING THE PROB COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WE THEN BOARDED THE PLANE AND COMPLETED ALL OUR CHKLISTS. AFTER TKOF THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. WE RECYCLED THE GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULT AND THEN CONSULTED OUR EMER CHKLIST. WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS; WE THEN RETURNED TO JAX. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; WE CHKED THE NOSE GEAR LOCKING PIN; WHICH HAD BEEN PULLED AFTER THE MECHS TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. THE RED FLAG HAD NOT BEEN PLACED ON THE LOCKING PIN TO INDICATE THE LOCKING PIN HAD BEEN PULLED. COMPANY PROC IS THAT THE PIN IS TO BE PULLED WHEN A PLANE IS TOWED; NOT TAXIED. ALSO; I HAD NEVER SEEN A LOCKING PIN PULLED WHEN THE PLANE WAS TAXIED BY MECHS. I THEN DID ANOTHER WALKAROUND; WE COMPLETED OUR CHKS; AND DEPARTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE LOCKING PIN IS BUILT INTO THE NOSE GEAR. IT IS A SQUARE APPROX 3-4 INCHES WITH A YELLOW BUTTON IN THE CTR. WHEN THE BUTTON IS PUSHED THE LOCK SNAPS OUT. COMPANY POLICY INDICATES IT IS TO BE USED ONLY WHEN THE ACFT IS TOWED; AND WHEN IT IS USED; A RED FLAG IS TO BE ATTACHED. WHEN RPTR DID HIS WALKAROUND; THERE WERE SEVERAL MECHS STANDING AROUND THE AREA. THEY TAXIED THE ACFT AWAY AND BROUGHT IT BACK. SOMEONE APPARENTLY PULLED THE LOCKING PIN DURING THAT TIME. RPTR AND CAPT FILED RPTS WITH CHIEF PLT. THE ACFT WAS A DASH 8.