Cargo door warning light came on shortly after takeoff. Flight crew returned and landed.

Attributes
ACN	118937
Time
Date	198908
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bna tower : bna
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5100
ASRS Report	118937
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time total : 5500
ASRS Report	119697
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Cargo handlers finished loading aircraft and secured aft cargo door closed. After cargo handlers exited thru forward crew entry door, flight crew noticed that the aft cargo door locked light was still illuminated. As captain, I walked to the back, aft cargo door, and checked that all bottom latches were down/locked and that bungee cords (straps) were secured. The side latch (cargo door light system connected to this latch) was then moved to the unlocked position and then back to the locked position. At this time the first officer signaled that the aft cargo door unsafe light had then extinguished, indicating that the doors were locked and secure. After engine start and taxi, the light (aft cargo door) flickered on and off. This had happened on a previous flight and when investigated by flight crew, showed that all locks were down/locked. The aircraft departed runway 2L at bna. Within/shortly after takeoff, the aft cargo light came on again. Crew heard a popping noise and the sound of airflow. I told the first officer to radio departure control that I wanted runway 20R for a return landing back at bna. The aircraft landed safely with no injuries to any crew member or persons. The damage to the aircraft was as follows. Aft section of aft cargo door separated from aircraft (has not been located at this point. The forward section of aft cargo door was ripped/bent. No other damage was noted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. FLT CREW RETURNED AND LANDED.

Narrative: CARGO HANDLERS FINISHED LOADING ACFT AND SECURED AFT CARGO DOOR CLOSED. AFTER CARGO HANDLERS EXITED THRU FORWARD CREW ENTRY DOOR, FLT CREW NOTICED THAT THE AFT CARGO DOOR LOCKED LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. AS CAPT, I WALKED TO THE BACK, AFT CARGO DOOR, AND CHECKED THAT ALL BOTTOM LATCHES WERE DOWN/LOCKED AND THAT BUNGEE CORDS (STRAPS) WERE SECURED. THE SIDE LATCH (CARGO DOOR LIGHT SYSTEM CONNECTED TO THIS LATCH) WAS THEN MOVED TO THE UNLOCKED POSITION AND THEN BACK TO THE LOCKED POSITION. AT THIS TIME THE F/O SIGNALED THAT THE AFT CARGO DOOR UNSAFE LIGHT HAD THEN EXTINGUISHED, INDICATING THAT THE DOORS WERE LOCKED AND SECURE. AFTER ENGINE START AND TAXI, THE LIGHT (AFT CARGO DOOR) FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A PREVIOUS FLT AND WHEN INVESTIGATED BY FLT CREW, SHOWED THAT ALL LOCKS WERE DOWN/LOCKED. THE ACFT DEPARTED RWY 2L AT BNA. WITHIN/SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, THE AFT CARGO LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. CREW HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THE SOUND OF AIRFLOW. I TOLD THE F/O TO RADIO DEP CTL THAT I WANTED RWY 20R FOR A RETURN LNDG BACK AT BNA. THE ACFT LANDED SAFELY WITH NO INJURIES TO ANY CREW MEMBER OR PERSONS. THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS AS FOLLOWS. AFT SECTION OF AFT CARGO DOOR SEPARATED FROM ACFT (HAS NOT BEEN LOCATED AT THIS POINT. THE FORWARD SECTION OF AFT CARGO DOOR WAS RIPPED/BENT. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED.

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.