Narrative:

Jun/tue/89 I was the F/east on shuttle flight. On takeoff this flight experienced a pressurization problem which was caused by an equipment access door that was open. The following is a description of what happened. At approximately XX35 that morning we arrived in la guardia and were informed that we would be going back to boston at XY00 as flight xx and would have to switch aircraft. This would be my 2ND flight on a 200 series aircraft and my 1ST flight on a 200 unsupervised. The lower 43 door (equipment access door) was not open on my exterior preflight but may have been opened by someone after I was on the aircraft. After completing my preflight I proceeded to do the weight and balance. The captain then asked for the before starting engines checklist. When the first officer asked about the door lights my response was that the 'equipment access door light was on', and he told me that this was normal on the 200 series aircraft, so we proceeded with the checklist. I later found out that what he meant was that it was normal until we had finished with our pushback. Not being familiar with this aircraft, I assumed that he meant it was normal for the light to be on. During our taxi out to the runway, I was extremely busy with the weight and balance and the takeoff data card. Even if I had noticed a light on during taxi it would not have caught my attention because on the 100 series aircraft with which I was familiar, there is a tail skid light in close proximity to the equipment access door light. On takeoff I noticed that the cabin was not pressurizing and informed the captain and then accomplished the abnormal procedure. It became evident at that time that the light was on and the door was open. The captain decided to continue the flight to boston unpressurized at a lower altitude. The flight arrived in boston safely without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ACFT TOOK OFF WITH ACCESS DOOR LIGHT ON. PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM. FLT CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: JUN/TUE/89 I WAS THE F/E ON SHUTTLE FLT. ON TKOF THIS FLT EXPERIENCED A PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM WHICH WAS CAUSED BY AN EQUIPMENT ACCESS DOOR THAT WAS OPEN. THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED. AT APPROX XX35 THAT MORNING WE ARRIVED IN LA GUARDIA AND WERE INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO BOSTON AT XY00 AS FLT XX AND WOULD HAVE TO SWITCH ACFT. THIS WOULD BE MY 2ND FLT ON A 200 SERIES ACFT AND MY 1ST FLT ON A 200 UNSUPERVISED. THE LOWER 43 DOOR (EQUIPMENT ACCESS DOOR) WAS NOT OPEN ON MY EXTERIOR PREFLT BUT MAY HAVE BEEN OPENED BY SOMEONE AFTER I WAS ON THE ACFT. AFTER COMPLETING MY PREFLT I PROCEEDED TO DO THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE. THE CAPT THEN ASKED FOR THE BEFORE STARTING ENGINES CHECKLIST. WHEN THE F/O ASKED ABOUT THE DOOR LIGHTS MY RESPONSE WAS THAT THE 'EQUIPMENT ACCESS DOOR LIGHT WAS ON', AND HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL ON THE 200 SERIES ACFT, SO WE PROCEEDED WITH THE CHECKLIST. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT WHAT HE MEANT WAS THAT IT WAS NORMAL UNTIL WE HAD FINISHED WITH OUR PUSHBACK. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THIS ACFT, I ASSUMED THAT HE MEANT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE LIGHT TO BE ON. DURING OUR TAXI OUT TO THE RWY, I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE AND THE TKOF DATA CARD. EVEN IF I HAD NOTICED A LIGHT ON DURING TAXI IT WOULD NOT HAVE CAUGHT MY ATTN BECAUSE ON THE 100 SERIES ACFT WITH WHICH I WAS FAMILIAR, THERE IS A TAIL SKID LIGHT IN CLOSE PROX TO THE EQUIPMENT ACCESS DOOR LIGHT. ON TKOF I NOTICED THAT THE CABIN WAS NOT PRESSURIZING AND INFORMED THE CAPT AND THEN ACCOMPLISHED THE ABNORMAL PROC. IT BECAME EVIDENT AT THAT TIME THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE DOOR WAS OPEN. THE CAPT DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO BOSTON UNPRESSURIZED AT A LOWER ALT. THE FLT ARRIVED IN BOSTON SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.