Narrative:

Departing ewr on runway 22R, departure procedures call for an immediate turn to 190 degree, a turn to 220 degree at the ILS 4 DME fix, climb to and maintain 4000'. On taxi out 'APU door' EICAS message after APU shut down required restarting, then shutting down APU to extinguish message nuisance. Shortly after takeoff runway 22R, as turn to 190 degree heading was begun, 'right wing slide door' light appeared on lower EICAS panel. Envisioning the evacuation slide popping out into the windstream over the right wing, I was reluctant to do any further turning. Had first officer call F/a at mid galley station to visually check right wing inboard area. Slowly began turn from 190 degree to 220 degree approximately 1 1/2 mi (5 1/2 mi on DME) late as a result of the distraction. As this turn was began, departure controller instructed 'turn to 260 degree heading' and admonished me for turning late. I informed departure that I wished to discontinue climb and that the flight may have to return to ewr. After evaluation of situation and talking to company maintenance coordinator in atl on company radio, I was satisfied that this was merely a nuisance EICAS message caused by a misadjusted microswitch. (If slide door had in fact been open, slide would have been deployed and at least been causing ctlability problems -- not the case.) on company recommendation, flight continued on to destination.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: DEPARTING EWR ON RWY 22R, DEP PROCS CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 190 DEG, A TURN TO 220 DEG AT THE ILS 4 DME FIX, CLIMB TO AND MAINTAIN 4000'. ON TAXI OUT 'APU DOOR' EICAS MESSAGE AFTER APU SHUT DOWN REQUIRED RESTARTING, THEN SHUTTING DOWN APU TO EXTINGUISH MESSAGE NUISANCE. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF RWY 22R, AS TURN TO 190 DEG HDG WAS BEGUN, 'RIGHT WING SLIDE DOOR' LIGHT APPEARED ON LOWER EICAS PANEL. ENVISIONING THE EVACUATION SLIDE POPPING OUT INTO THE WINDSTREAM OVER THE RIGHT WING, I WAS RELUCTANT TO DO ANY FURTHER TURNING. HAD F/O CALL F/A AT MID GALLEY STATION TO VISUALLY CHECK RIGHT WING INBOARD AREA. SLOWLY BEGAN TURN FROM 190 DEG TO 220 DEG APPROX 1 1/2 MI (5 1/2 MI ON DME) LATE AS A RESULT OF THE DISTR. AS THIS TURN WAS BEGAN, DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED 'TURN TO 260 DEG HDG' AND ADMONISHED ME FOR TURNING LATE. I INFORMED DEP THAT I WISHED TO DISCONTINUE CLIMB AND THAT THE FLT MAY HAVE TO RETURN TO EWR. AFTER EVALUATION OF SITUATION AND TALKING TO COMPANY MAINT COORDINATOR IN ATL ON COMPANY RADIO, I WAS SATISFIED THAT THIS WAS MERELY A NUISANCE EICAS MESSAGE CAUSED BY A MISADJUSTED MICROSWITCH. (IF SLIDE DOOR HAD IN FACT BEEN OPEN, SLIDE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED AND AT LEAST BEEN CAUSING CTLABILITY PROBLEMS -- NOT THE CASE.) ON COMPANY RECOMMENDATION, FLT CONTINUED ON TO DEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.