Air carrier PIC aborts takeoff when door warning light on cargo door comes on. Does not make a log b...

Attributes
ACN	155436
Time
Date	199008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	155436
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Departed ont for las, operations normal until just before V1 on takeoff roll when the warning light for the forward cargo door came on. With over 6000' of runway remaining, I elected to abort. I taxied back to just outside the gate, asked ground crew to inspect the door. They said it was closed, cycled it open and closed, and the light went out and stayed out. It operated normally after that no matter what we did. So, I proceeded to depart for las. During descent for las, the warning light came on again. So I entered it in the log, they MEL'd it, and fixed it later that day. Now I'm told by some of our maintenance personnel that I am not qualified to tell if a system is operating normally and that I should have called maintenance control for an unmanned release under the MEL. (If so, I departed west/O a valid maintenance release.) but that's all news to me! We have many occasions where some system, flag or light does not operate normally at first, but with a tap, or cycling, or a power charge, the glitch disappears and the thing operates normally from there on out. In addition, I have in the past tried to get an unmanned station release for something that had fixed itself, but maintenance control refused. I won't write up anything that isn't at least intermittently inoperative. And am expected every day to judge whether all systems on the aircraft are functional. If the FAA takes the pint of view that I'm truly not qualified to judge a one time glitch, then I have to make the write-up before I can conform even intermittent status and we shall have a tone of unnecessary paperwork and delays. If that's what the FAA really believes, we must educate our pilots and maintenance controllers to that effect. If that's what the FAA believes, the FAA is a ground pounder. If that is what the FAA believes, well then, the FAA is an ass.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC ABORTS TKOF WHEN DOOR WARNING LIGHT ON CARGO DOOR COMES ON. DOES NOT MAKE A LOG BOOK ENTRY PRIOR TO SUBSEQUENT DEP AND COMES UNDER SOME CRITICISM BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.

Narrative: DEPARTED ONT FOR LAS, OPS NORMAL UNTIL JUST BEFORE V1 ON TKOF ROLL WHEN THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR CAME ON. WITH OVER 6000' OF RWY REMAINING, I ELECTED TO ABORT. I TAXIED BACK TO JUST OUTSIDE THE GATE, ASKED GND CREW TO INSPECT THE DOOR. THEY SAID IT WAS CLOSED, CYCLED IT OPEN AND CLOSED, AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT AND STAYED OUT. IT OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE DID. SO, I PROCEEDED TO DEPART FOR LAS. DURING DSNT FOR LAS, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. SO I ENTERED IT IN THE LOG, THEY MEL'D IT, AND FIXED IT LATER THAT DAY. NOW I'M TOLD BY SOME OF OUR MAINT PERSONNEL THAT I AM NOT QUALIFIED TO TELL IF A SYS IS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED MAINT CTL FOR AN UNMANNED RELEASE UNDER THE MEL. (IF SO, I DEPARTED W/O A VALID MAINT RELEASE.) BUT THAT'S ALL NEWS TO ME! WE HAVE MANY OCCASIONS WHERE SOME SYS, FLAG OR LIGHT DOES NOT OPERATE NORMALLY AT FIRST, BUT WITH A TAP, OR CYCLING, OR A PWR CHARGE, THE GLITCH DISAPPEARS AND THE THING OPERATES NORMALLY FROM THERE ON OUT. IN ADDITION, I HAVE IN THE PAST TRIED TO GET AN UNMANNED STATION RELEASE FOR SOMETHING THAT HAD FIXED ITSELF, BUT MAINT CTL REFUSED. I WON'T WRITE UP ANYTHING THAT ISN'T AT LEAST INTERMITTENTLY INOP. AND AM EXPECTED EVERY DAY TO JUDGE WHETHER ALL SYSTEMS ON THE ACFT ARE FUNCTIONAL. IF THE FAA TAKES THE PINT OF VIEW THAT I'M TRULY NOT QUALIFIED TO JUDGE A ONE TIME GLITCH, THEN I HAVE TO MAKE THE WRITE-UP BEFORE I CAN CONFORM EVEN INTERMITTENT STATUS AND WE SHALL HAVE A TONE OF UNNECESSARY PAPERWORK AND DELAYS. IF THAT'S WHAT THE FAA REALLY BELIEVES, WE MUST EDUCATE OUR PLTS AND MAINT CTLRS TO THAT EFFECT. IF THAT'S WHAT THE FAA BELIEVES, THE FAA IS A GND POUNDER. IF THAT IS WHAT THE FAA BELIEVES, WELL THEN, THE FAA IS AN ASS.

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 PIC aborts takeoff when door warning light on cargo door comes on. Does not make a log book entry prior to subsequent departure and comes under some criticism by maintenance personnel.