Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
Everything from pre-flight; boarding; push back; and taxi was all normal. Take off was normal until the pilot flying rotated the aircraft and called for gear up. With the retraction of the gear we immediately noticed an extremely loud wing noise and a large amount of vibration coming through the rudder pedals. After cleaning up the airplane and joining the departure the noise and vibration continued and got worse with acceleration. We received no warning from the aircraft at all to tell us the condition of the aircraft and the gear showed 3 up and locked. ATC asked us a number of times to accelerate and we refused since we didn't know the condition of the nose gear and suspected that the nose gear door was either open or partially opened. We contact Maintenance Control and dispatch. Maintenance Control directed us to do the QRH procedure; but there is no QRH procedure for loud noise and vibration. We coordinated with ATC and dispatch and returned to the departure airport. The arrival and landing were uneventful and the noise actually went away with the extension of the gear. Once we made it into the gate; we found out that the follow up door had separated from the aircraft.
Air Carrier First Officer reported losing a portion of a nose gear door just after takeoff. Flight returned to the departure airport and landed normally.