Narrative:

Right after rotation from takeoff roll at ewr, the 'elec compartment door' annunciator light came on, along with the sound of elec compartment door slamming open onto the up lock device. The aircraft would not pressurize. Flight returned to ewr for an uneventful landing. During preflight walkaround the first officer noticed a mechanic standing in the elec compartment. Upon arrival at the cockpit, I conversed with mechanics on the scene about a gen problem written up in the maintenance log book by the inbound crew. Before flight pushed back for engine start, all door lights were out and all door lights stayed out during taxi and takeoff roll. This aircraft elec compartment door caution light is governed by a proximity switch on the door frame. When the door is shut, the light goes out. However, the light does not indicate that the elec compartment door is actually latched in the locked close position, like it is for the cabin compartment doors. Suggest the elec compartment door latch locking mechanism be redesigned to govern the caution light and not the door itself, as is the present design. Or, suggest a separate sign-off by maintenance department any time the elec compartment door is opened by them. Sign-off in log might say something like, 'elec compartment door is closed and locked.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRIC COMPARTMENT DOOR CAME OPEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF. FLT UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE. RETURNED TO EWR FOR LNDG AND MAINTENANCE.

Narrative: RIGHT AFTER ROTATION FROM TKOF ROLL AT EWR, THE 'ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR' ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT CAME ON, ALONG WITH THE SOUND OF ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR SLAMMING OPEN ONTO THE UP LOCK DEVICE. THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. FLT RETURNED TO EWR FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. DURING PREFLT WALKAROUND THE F/O NOTICED A MECH STANDING IN THE ELEC COMPARTMENT. UPON ARR AT THE COCKPIT, I CONVERSED WITH MECHS ON THE SCENE ABOUT A GEN PROB WRITTEN UP IN THE MAINT LOG BOOK BY THE INBND CREW. BEFORE FLT PUSHED BACK FOR ENG START, ALL DOOR LIGHTS WERE OUT AND ALL DOOR LIGHTS STAYED OUT DURING TAXI AND TKOF ROLL. THIS ACFT ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR CAUTION LIGHT IS GOVERNED BY A PROX SWITCH ON THE DOOR FRAME. WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT, THE LIGHT GOES OUT. HOWEVER, THE LIGHT DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR IS ACTUALLY LATCHED IN THE LOCKED CLOSE POS, LIKE IT IS FOR THE CABIN COMPARTMENT DOORS. SUGGEST THE ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH LOCKING MECHANISM BE REDESIGNED TO GOVERN THE CAUTION LIGHT AND NOT THE DOOR ITSELF, AS IS THE PRESENT DESIGN. OR, SUGGEST A SEPARATE SIGN-OFF BY MAINT DEPT ANY TIME THE ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR IS OPENED BY THEM. SIGN-OFF IN LOG MIGHT SAY SOMETHING LIKE, 'ELEC COMPARTMENT DOOR IS CLOSED AND LOCKED.'

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.