Dash 8-200
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
We were for takeoff when we first heard a loud noise and rattle in the rudder pedals. A few seconds later we noticed it again and this time saw the green nose gear light was off and the red nose gear light was illuminated along with the gear handle light. I stopped the aircraft and asked my First Officer to tell Ground Control we needed to return to the gate. They gave us instructions to Taxi to the ramp. While making the turn back it happened again. Therefore; not feeling safe to taxi the aircraft I told ground we were stopping and would need a tow in to the gate. We coordinated with ramp; Dispatch; Maintenance; Airport Operations; and Operations in order to determine our plan of action to get the aircraft and passengers back to the terminal safely. We were told to not tow the aircraft in until Maintenance came out to the plane and secured the nose gear. After 30 minutes of waiting; Airport Operations ordered a people mover next to the plane in order to deplane the passengers and we were told to shut down our engines. I asked if we could keep 1 engine running until we were ready to tow since we were full and it would be getting hot quickly in the aircraft. They said that would be fine. It went back and forth between airport and company operations on whether to deplane the passengers on the people mover or at the gate from the plane after tow. At first we were told to keep the passengers on. However; after 45 minutes I made the decision to deplane on the taxiway since it was going to be a while before we got moving and the shuttle was next to the plane already. Passengers deplaned and we were towed in to the gate.
DHC8-200 Captain reports the nose landing gear attempting to retract uncommanded during taxi. The aircraft is stopped and the passengers deplaned to a bus before the aircraft is towed to the gate.