Date: 201712
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Challenger 350
Operator: Fractional
Operating under: Part 135
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked; Takeoff / Launch
Aircraft component: Gear Pins
Component problem: Improperly Operated
Reporter organization: Fractional
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Distraction; Time Pressure
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I inadvertently left the gear pins in and took off. There were a number of pressures and distractions that contributed to this. At check in at the hotel; we received an erroneous brief for a different plane in a different city. Called crew support and they gave me the new brief for this flight 64 minutes from notification. We made it to the lobby in less than 30 minutes and could not find transportation faster than the hotel shuttle. We arrived at the hangar at go time. During the ride over I received calls from [Operations] asking for our ETA and explaining what they had done to help. They said the plane was in the hangar for preflight. I asked them to pull it out so I could do everything out there. They refused. Halfway through the preflight; we were asked if we could be airborne in 30; if not we would be off the trip and the hot spare aircraft would take it. I said we could and that; since bags and catering were already on; we would be ready faster than the other one. Then they pulled the trip from our line; started to pull bags and they put the trip back on our line. Finished preflight in the hangar; went inside to get paperwork and talk to passengers. When I got to the plane; the tug was still attached and pins in. I set the panel for auto fuel and went in the cockpit to do flight planning while [the Co-pilot] did cockpit checks. Halfway through this; the fueler came in and said the plane wasn't taking fuel. I went out to reset for manual fueling when Operations asked if I would be ready for passengers after fueling. I went back in to finish flight planning and passengers were brought out. The tug left while I was talking to the passengers. I came back to the plane; saw it without the tug; and remembered I did the preflight in the hangar; but forgot that the pins were still in. In our rush; the Co-pilot forgot to do the final walk around. When we got to the Before Start checklist I forgot again that I did not pull the pins after the plane was pulled from the hangar and verified that they were stowed. We were faced with pressure from multiple sources. We were set up to fail with the short show. I wanted the plane out of the hangar for just the reason that bit us. I should have been more assertive. We let ourselves get distracted. We rushed in response to the pressure instead of slowing the pace. We should put safety first; and the completion of the schedule second.


Second narrative: I mentioned to the Captain that we just needed to proceed at a normal pace as we do any other day; noting that the schedule pressure was causing him to appear rushed. He said okay.The Captain asked that the airplane be taken out of the hangar for preflight; but he was told to go ahead and preflight in the hangar and they would pull us out afterward. I did a preflight walk around as well while in the hangar and all looked well and normal for an airplane still in the hangar (gear pins installed).Inside the airplane; I was setting up the cabin for departure when the ground crew pulled us out of the hangar. I proceeded with a power-on checklist and began to review the flight guidance programming. Captain returned from inside the building with the release and passengers. He told me to continue setting up while he briefed the passengers; since he was already with them. I agreed and continued; correcting a couple of items missed previously on the programming.A couple of minutes later; he closed the door and came into the cockpit still a bit rushed; and buckled in. I said I had reviewed everything and did a waypoint verification. Since we were already behind schedule; he had closed the door and buckled in; and I had already done my walk around after a preflight. I inadvertently was not thinking about the fact that he never showed me the three gear pins after we were towed out of the hangar.


Synopsis: Cl-35 flight crew reported that they took off with the gear pins installed due to schedule pressure.