B727-100 CREW WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR BECAUSE THE LOCK PIN WAS NOT REMOVED.

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AIR TURN BACK OF FLT ABCD; AUG/TUE/01. I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT; AT RAMP; 1 HR PRIOR TO THE BLOCK TIME OF XA35 LCL. WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE EXTERIOR SAFETY INSPECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AOM; I NOTICED THAT; ALTHOUGH THE ACFT WAS PARKED NOSE FIRST TO THE RAMP; THE NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS WERE DISCONNECTED. LOGBOOK REVIEW DURING THE COCKPIT SAFETY INSPECTION INDICATED THAT MAINT HAD COMPLETED A MAINT CHK ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. WHILE CONDUCTING THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION; I DISCOVERED THAT THE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC (E/E) COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS OPEN. I DID NOT CLOSE IT BUT INSTEAD LOCATED THE ON DUTY MAINT PERSON. I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT BOTH THE DISCONNECTED STEERING LINKS AND THE OPEN E/E COMPARTMENT DOOR. HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO TOW THE ACFT OUT OF THE SPOT AND THAT WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO DELAY ENG START UNTIL OUT ON THE RAMP DUE TO EQUIP BEHIND THE ACFT. HE DID NOT KNOW WHY THE E/E DOOR WAS OPEN BUT TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD BOTH REVIEW THE LOGBOOK AND CHK INSIDE THE COMPARTMENT TO INSURE THAT ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP WAS IN ORDER. I CONTINUED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION WITH NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES NOTED. AFTER RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT; I INFORMED THE CAPT ABOUT BOTH THE DISCONNECTED NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS AND THE OPEN E/E COMPARTMENT DOOR AND TOLD HIM OF MAINT'S INTENTION TO TOW US OUT OF OUR SPOT. I ALSO POINTED OUT THE MAINT CHK IN THE LOGBOOK AND MENTIONED MY REQUEST TO MAINT TO REVIEW IT AND CHK THE ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE MECH INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD CHKED THE E/E COMPARTMENT; AND FINDING NO DISCREPANCIES; HAD CLOSED IT. HE HAD ALSO REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND AGAIN FOUND NO PROBS. MAINT TOWED US ONTO THE RAMP AND; AFTER ENG START; INFORMED US THAT THE NOSE GEAR STEERING LINKS WERE RECONNECTED AND WE WERE CLRED TO PRESSURIZE 'A' SYS HYDS. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE 'AFTER START' CHKLIST AND; DURING TAXI-OUT; THE 'BEFORE TKOF' CHKLIST. DURING GEAR RETRACTION; I NOTICED THAT THE AMBER 'NOSE GEAR DOOR' LIGHT ON THE SO PANEL DID NOT ILLUMINATE. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AFTER THE RED MAIN GEAR LIGHTS ON THE INST PANEL HAD EXTINGUISHED BUT THE RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ON; I NOTIFIED THE CAPT THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPARENTLY FAILED TO RETRACT. WE ALL NOTICED A LOUDER THAN USUAL WIND NOISE. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE FO (PNF) TO LOWER THE GEAR HANDLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL FOR ALL GEAR DOWN. THE FO THEN RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE AND AGAIN THE AMBER 'NOSE GEAR DOOR' LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND THE RED NOSE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ON WITH LOUDER THAN NORMAL WIND NOISE FOR GEAR UP. THE CAPT DIRECTED THE FO TO NOTIFY ATC THAT WE WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO YYY AND ASKED ME TO NOTIFY FLT CTL THAT WE WOULD BE ON AIR TURN BACK. WE COMPLETED THE 'AFTER TKOF' CHK; 'APCH' CHK AND 'LNDG' CHK; THEN LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER BLOCK IN; THE MECH DISCOVERED THE NOSE GEAR PIN INSTALLED. WE THEN GOT NEW RELEASE PAPERWORK AND WT AND BAL AND OPERATED TO ZZZ.