Dash 8-400
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Human Factors
Upon gear retraction; my First Officer and I noticed the amber (N. DOOR) and the red (NOSE) gear lights were illuminated and the nose gear felt as if it hadn't retracted. The mains appeared and indicated to be retracted. We leveled off at our initially assigned altitude of 3;000 FT. I was flying and my First Officer was the pilot not flying. We contacted Departure Control and let them know of our problem and they gave us a northern vector so we could run some checklists. My First Officer went through QRH Landing Gear Fail to Retract Checklist which led us to QRH ALTERNATE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION Checklist. We accomplished the QRH [procedures] and after discussion amongst ourselves and Dispatch; we decided to declare an emergency and return to [departure airport].We landed safely and came to a complete stop. We waited on the runway to be tugged in as per checklist because the nose wheel steering was rendered inoperative. When the tug arrived [ground personnel] said the integral nose gear ground lock mechanism was 'out'. We arrived at the gate and deplaned the passengers. I asked my First Officer and the ground crew personnel if they noticed whether or not the nose locking mechanism was in and locked and both of them said yes; that it appeared in and locked before we pushed back from the gate. Whether or not the ground crew pulled out the nose ground lock mechanism when they moved the airplane [earlier] I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is my First Officer said it was in when he did his pre-flight walk around; and the ground personnel said it was in when he pushed us back from the gate.
During my preflight inspection prior to departure; I noted no issues with the aircraft.
Q400 flight crew reported nose gear would not retract after takeoff. They declared an emergency and returned to departure airport where the nose gear ground lock mechanism was found out of position.