Air carrier medium large transport returns to land after equipment door light comes on. Hatch was un...

Attributes
ACN	137763
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	137763
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	137768
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

After liftoff runway 30 at iad the master caution light came on accompanied by noise beneath cockpit area. Checked and saw equipment door light on. We notified tower that we needed to return for landing. We were given a clearance to land visually on runway 1L. After making a PA to passengers we accomplished after takeoff, descent, approach and before landing checklists and landed. Maintenance met aircraft at gate and inspected aircraft and made adjustments to door latch and seals. After a delay we then departed for destination. Note: first officer and maintenance were both adamant in stating that a thorough preflight inspection was accomplished prior to departure. All items on pushback/start, taxi, and before takeoff checklists were accomplished with no indication of a door light on. Note: on the night prior to this the crew arrived close to 2 hours late at scheduled layover due to a mechanical delay. Crew rest was shortened below normal legal limits and the crew was instructed to report for this flight 30 min prior to departure instead of the normal 1 hour before departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG RETURNS TO LAND AFTER EQUIPMENT DOOR LIGHT COMES ON. HATCH WAS UNLATCHED.

Narrative: AFTER LIFTOFF RWY 30 AT IAD THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY NOISE BENEATH COCKPIT AREA. CHECKED AND SAW EQUIPMENT DOOR LIGHT ON. WE NOTIFIED TWR THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND VISUALLY ON RWY 1L. AFTER MAKING A PA TO PASSENGERS WE ACCOMPLISHED AFTER TKOF, DSCNT, APCH AND BEFORE LNDG CHECKLISTS AND LANDED. MAINT MET ACFT AT GATE AND INSPECTED ACFT AND MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO DOOR LATCH AND SEALS. AFTER A DELAY WE THEN DEPARTED FOR DEST. NOTE: F/O AND MAINT WERE BOTH ADAMANT IN STATING THAT A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO DEP. ALL ITEMS ON PUSHBACK/START, TAXI, AND BEFORE TKOF CHECKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO INDICATION OF A DOOR LIGHT ON. NOTE: ON THE NIGHT PRIOR TO THIS THE CREW ARRIVED CLOSE TO 2 HRS LATE AT SCHEDULED LAYOVER DUE TO A MECHANICAL DELAY. CREW REST WAS SHORTENED BELOW NORMAL LEGAL LIMITS AND THE CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO REPORT FOR THIS FLT 30 MIN PRIOR TO DEP INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL 1 HR BEFORE DEP.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport returns to land after equipment door light comes on. Hatch was unlatched.