AN EMBRAER 120 AFTER TKOF RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR CAUSED BY INCORRECT ASSEMBLY OF THE NOSE STRUT.

Narrative

JUST BEFORE LEAVING HOME; RECEIVED CALL FROM SUPVR TO COME IN THAT EVENING TO REPAIR NOSE LNDG GEAR STRUT. I COULD NOT SLEEP NOR NAP WHEN I TRIED TO GO TO SLEEP AROUND XI00. AT ABOUT XM30 I STARTED TO FALL ASLEEP; SO INSTEAD OF NAPPING AT THAT TIME; I DECIDED TO GO ON TO WORK AND GOT THERE ABOUT XM00. ONCE AT WORK; STARTED TO TRAIN SOMEONE ELSE. I FELT TIRED. I HAD DONE SAME WORK BEFORE; BUT IT HAD BEEN 2-3 YRS SINCE LAST PERFORMED. WHEN I LEFT THAT MORNING; ACFT WAS STILL ON JACKS AND I HAD BEEN AWAKE OVER 25 HRS. BY THE TIME I STARTED THE JOB; I WAS UP FOR OVER 16 HRS. TO ME; THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL WOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY STATED; HAD IT CAUTION; HAD IT WARNING; AND/OR NOTED; THAT A GEAR OPS CHK SHOULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT. THE COMPONENT/MANUFACTURER MAINT MANUAL SHOULD HAVE NOTED A REF FOR IT ALSO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE FLT RETURN WAS UNABLE TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR AFTER TKOF. THE RPTR AID THE STRUT WAS ASSEMBLED WITH THE NOSE CTRING CAM 180 DEGS OFF.