Oops !

[bugged on the right]

Another gotcha. Don't assume the pins are removed simply because they are stowed on the flight deck. Our maintenance people would often use pins from the hangar. The advice is to check the holes on your walkaround. Basic airmanship.

[BOAC]

Hmm! A bit like posts#19 and #20, then? Specsavers?

[Offchocks]

- but you should check for pins aboard in case you need them down route, and if one or more are missing - someone needs to know.

Not all airlines carry the pins on flights.

[Basil]

Bugged right, gotchas everywhere.

RAF colleague did walkround - found prob during startup - went for coffee in line hut whilst ground engineers fixed it.
Climbed in - took off and couldn't retract gear.
Landed back and found nose lock and one main gear lock still in position.
Ground crew had, perfectly sensibly, refitted locks before troubleshooting.
Neither he nor his FE had done another walkround.
Yer learns about flying from that.
Main gear locks on that aircraft, which SHOULD have been clamped in position but were often just laid on top of the struts, weighed, and I'm guessing here, about 30lbs.
Something will go 'ding!' against a plough one day.

Poor chap was killed in a Vulcan air display. RIP Simon.

[aergid]

Quote:
a nose lock was used on push-back and SOP was to show it to the crew once the tow bar was removed. The pin that is shown to the flight crew is the steering lockout pin (also known as the Hydraulic Bypass Pin). If this had not been removed then the aircraft would not have made it to the runway (unless it was a straight line to the runway). The U/C lock pin is a different pin and is located higher up in the wheel well.

Not always:

ATR42/72 Aircraft, some airlines use a pin for Pushback but its not a steering lock out pin. Its a nose gear pin. The reasoning I believe is to prevent nose gear collapsing due to excessive pushback & towing.

Also the Ground handler has a responsibility, as they are usually responsible for the pre-departure walkround in which Gear Pin checks are part of.

[PAXboy]

On the increasingly short turns on s/h, are pins used? Based on type, of course. For a typical l/h turn of 90/120 mins - are pins used?

Is it just on overnights? When certain maintenance procedures are to be done?

[BOAC]

2762 is a 1550 departure, so the a/c either came from the hangar to operate the service, had been towed onto stand from remote parking or another stand or maybe was having some maintenance on stand requiring 'safe' gear. Very little else requires pins.

[virginpaul]

Pins

DC10 pushback was done with NLG downlock pin and steering bypass pin installed. Downlock pin was a "hockey stick" - 5 odd foot long pole with pin and trigger operated retaining lever, bypass pin was attached to the stick by wire lanyard. The whole thing was bright red painted and had a 4 foot flag attached with remove before flight on it. Onboard pins were not used for push. The whole was displayed to crew after push when all equipment was removed and clear of the aircraft.

And as a note of interest, B747 pins ate stowed withing lower 41 hatch (between avionic bay floor and fuse skin) and thus are not checked by FD crew.

Engineering make log entry for installation of pins for any reason. Handling agents do not and they are wholely responsible for towing aircraft from/to departure stands. They do not make any log book entries.

A pin with a flag missing is U/S and shoud be repaired/replaced - can be controlled by Non Ops DD raised if aircraft com,pliment. If its an off aircraft pin (tooling) with missing flag this also should be made U/S and rejected if flag missing - or fit one - it's not hard if flag available!

Oh yes - and they won't get stuck 1/2 way up, or up - downlock pins do what they say on the tin - the nose wheel is the one most oft left in, as its used on some aircraft during the tow - whereas all pins (nose and mains) are fitted for heavier or hangar check visits - to avoid inadvertant gear retraction on ground.