Citation X (C750)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 3600; Flight Crew Type 350
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Human Factors; Aircraft
Event started on climbout. Landing gear failed to retract (Gear Handle Solenoid) did not release handle for retraction. Gear stayed down and 3 green locked lights stayed on. After advising ATC for vectors for a troubleshooting gear anomaly; elected to land and consult our Maintenance personnel.  Similar problem encountered by a crew in the same aircraft a few weeks earlier. Attributed to low nose strut nitrogen charge after takeoff; nose strut would not go to full travel which inhibited nose strut squat switch from making contact allowing retraction sequence to commence. Consultation with Maintenance and visually confirming no noticeable issue with gear; decision was made to attempt inflight maneuver of simple pitch up to allow gravity to pull nose gear to full length. No passengers aboard-only crew. Attempt from prior event an year earlier with different crew was successful. This simple fix lulled me into complacency and with Maintenance stating to try it; I flew aircraft with known potential problem.  Normal takeoff VFR; gear would not retract again with brisk rotation. Advised ATC of gear anomaly again and flew VFR circuit to normal landing and return to FBO. My decision making flawed in that I could not have known it was just a low serviced strut. Although; there was plenty of strut showing for dispatch in the nose strut of the aircraft. Following day; Maintenance did discover low strut pressure and serviced. Ops was normal. I will never attempt a flight in an aircraft with a known issue until I have Maintenance personnel inspect the aircraft.
[Narrative #2 contains no additional information.]
CE750 flight crew reports' failure of the landing gear to retract after takeoff due to inability to raise the gear handle. Flight returns to departure airport for a normal landing. Nose strut servicing is thought to be the culprit and with maintenance concurrence; another takeoff is made with a vigorous rotation but the gear does not retract. Strut servicing does solve the problem.