A DO328 FO RPT OF A RETURN LAND BECAUSE OF A NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK PIN THAT WAS NOT REMOVED PRIOR TO FLT AT ZZZ; US.

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THE ACFT HAD A BOOT PROB ON JAN/WED/02 SO WE WERE STUCK IN ZZZ UNTIL THE PROB WAS FIXED. IT STARTED AT ABOUT XA30 ON JAN/WED/02 AND WENT UNTIL XI00 WHEN THEY FINALLY DECIDED THAT THE ACFT WOULD NOT BE FIXED IN TIME AND WE WERE TOLD TO GO TO THE HOTEL AND RETURN FOR THE FIRST FLT ON JAN/THU/02. THE SHOW TIME WAS XU25. WE ARRIVED AND DID OUR NORMAL CHK-IN WITH THE GATE. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO 1 OF THE 2 OF OUR ACFT ON THE RAMP. ONE WAS GOING TO ZZZ1 AND THE OTHER WAS OUR ACFT GOING TO NEW YORK. WHEN I DID THE PREFLT; EVERYTHING WAS IN GOOD CONDITION AND THERE WAS A GEAR PIN IN THE NOSE GEAR WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE FOR A PUSH SINCE THERE WRE 2 DORNIERS NEXT TO EACH OTHER. THEY WERE ALSO IN CLOSE PROX OF EACH OTHER. WHEN WE TOOK OFF; THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT RETRACT. WE RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO ZZZ AND LANDED. THE MECH THAT HAD INSTALLED THE PIN WAS RIDING BACK WITH US AND I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD LEFT IT IN; AND HE DID ADMIT TO LEAVING THE PIN IN. THEREFORE; RAMP HAD NO IDEA THAT THE PIN WAS IN. I THOUGHT THAT RAMP HAD PUT THE PIN IN FOR A PUSH. ONCE WE LANDED; THE MECH THAT WAS RIDING WITH US RAN OUT AND REMOVED THE PIN. THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE THE PIN WAS HIS. ONCE AGAIN THERE WERE 2 DORNIERS AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO PUSH US; SO I BELIEVED IT WAS RAMP'S PIN. I MADE THE MISTAKE IN NOT QUERYING WHETHER WE PUSH OR NOT FROM THIS STATION THAT I HADN'T OVERNIGHTED IN OVER A YR. THERE WERE 3 GEAR PINS IN THE COCKPIT. THAT IS ANOTHER REASON I THOUGHT THAT THE GEAR PIN HAD BEEN INSTALLED BY A RAMPER FOR A PUSH. NORMAL OP THE MECHS USE THE ACFT GEAR PINS LOCATED IN THE COCKPIT. WE HAD ALL 3 GEAR PINS. IF THERE HAD BEEN ONE MISSING; I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT IT WAS THE MECH'S AND NOT THE RAMPER'S; BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT THE MECH HAD HIS OWN GEAR PIN AND THAT WAS THE PIN INSTALLED IN THE NOSE GEAR. THERE WERE TOO MANY GEAR PINS. IF THERE ARE MORE THAN 3 THEY HAVE COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN THE ACFT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SOLVED IF THE MECH HAD USED THE APPROPRIATE PIN FROM THE COCKPIT AND HAD REMOVED THE PIN WHEN HE WAS FINISHED.