Narrative:

During takeoff in tul at approximately 115-120 KTS a master caution (door) light aft cargo door light illuminated. A normal takeoff was made and return to landing at tul. At the gate I asked the ground operations person to check the aft cargo door and he reported to me that it was open. We opened and closed the door several times and the aft cargo door light worked normally. With everything normal and operating correctly we continued to mci. In mci, prior to leaving the gate I had the ground operations person visually check the door to double check that the door was closed. Upon arrival in hou I had maintenance look at the door. They visually checked the switch, recycled the door several times and everything worked normally. Since the system worked normally at tul, the door was visually checked. I did not think that a log book write up was required or necessary. After talking to my supervisor about the incident he said that the FAA wanted a write up anytime an aircraft returns to the gate, and a new release with the item on the release. Since everything was normal and working correctly I did not feel that a write up in the log book or a new release was necessary. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: after liftoff unable to pressurize. On return to gate door on aft cargo was open. Later found out that this has happened before and has turned up on aircraft manufactured after a certain date. The mfg had changed the switch that operates the warning light and apparently bought a cheap replacement switch for later models. Solution is all aircraft with this switch will be refitted hopefully with the old reliable switch that worked for yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DEPARTED GATE AND MADE TKOF WITH AFT CARGO DOOR OPEN. NO INDICATION ON COCKPIT CARGO DOOR WARNING LIGHT. DISCREPANCY NOT ENTERED IN LOG BOOK AND ACFT MADE SUBSEQUENT DEP WITHOUT NEW RELEASE.

Narrative: DURING TKOF IN TUL AT APPROX 115-120 KTS A MASTER CAUTION (DOOR) LIGHT AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A NORMAL TKOF WAS MADE AND RETURN TO LNDG AT TUL. AT THE GATE I ASKED THE GND OPS PERSON TO CHK THE AFT CARGO DOOR AND HE RPTED TO ME THAT IT WAS OPEN. WE OPENED AND CLOSED THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES AND THE AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT WORKED NORMALLY. WITH EVERYTHING NORMAL AND OPERATING CORRECTLY WE CONTINUED TO MCI. IN MCI, PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE I HAD THE GND OPS PERSON VISUALLY CHK THE DOOR TO DOUBLE CHK THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. UPON ARR IN HOU I HAD MAINT LOOK AT THE DOOR. THEY VISUALLY CHKED THE SWITCH, RECYCLED THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES AND EVERYTHING WORKED NORMALLY. SINCE THE SYS WORKED NORMALLY AT TUL, THE DOOR WAS VISUALLY CHKED. I DID NOT THINK THAT A LOG BOOK WRITE UP WAS REQUIRED OR NECESSARY. AFTER TALKING TO MY SUPVR ABOUT THE INCIDENT HE SAID THAT THE FAA WANTED A WRITE UP ANYTIME AN ACFT RETURNS TO THE GATE, AND A NEW RELEASE WITH THE ITEM ON THE RELEASE. SINCE EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND WORKING CORRECTLY I DID NOT FEEL THAT A WRITE UP IN THE LOG BOOK OR A NEW RELEASE WAS NECESSARY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: AFTER LIFTOFF UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE. ON RETURN TO GATE DOOR ON AFT CARGO WAS OPEN. LATER FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND HAS TURNED UP ON ACFT MANUFACTURED AFTER A CERTAIN DATE. THE MFG HAD CHANGED THE SWITCH THAT OPERATES THE WARNING LIGHT AND APPARENTLY BOUGHT A CHEAP REPLACEMENT SWITCH FOR LATER MODELS. SOLUTION IS ALL ACFT WITH THIS SWITCH WILL BE REFITTED HOPEFULLY WITH THE OLD RELIABLE SWITCH THAT WORKED FOR YRS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.