Air carrier mdt air turn back because an emergency door was not fully closed. Non cockpit indication...

Attributes
ACN	184971
Time
Date	199107
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ase
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ase
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	184971
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

All activities during the loading and boarding process appeared normal and all cockpit indications during start and taxi were normal. There were no indications of any door problems. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendant called and advised she could see daylight through the emergency door seal to her right (normally that seal would have been inflated, sealing the small opening). The aircraft would not pressurize. The flight attendant said further that the actuating handle on the door was slightly open. We returned to base and dealt with the problem on the ground. My point in this report is to make known that an emergency door handle can be ajar on the mdt and while the door is still secure the seal is deflated and we have no cockpit indication. The airstair door on this aircraft has a microswitch on the handle that will light the airstair caution light if the handle is even slightly out of position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MDT AIR TURN BACK BECAUSE AN EMER DOOR WAS NOT FULLY CLOSED. NON COCKPIT INDICATION.

Narrative: ALL ACTIVITIES DURING THE LOADING AND BOARDING PROCESS APPEARED NORMAL AND ALL COCKPIT INDICATIONS DURING START AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY DOOR PROBLEMS. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND ADVISED SHE COULD SEE DAYLIGHT THROUGH THE EMER DOOR SEAL TO HER R (NORMALLY THAT SEAL WOULD HAVE BEEN INFLATED, SEALING THE SMALL OPENING). THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID FURTHER THAT THE ACTUATING HANDLE ON THE DOOR WAS SLIGHTLY OPEN. WE RETURNED TO BASE AND DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM ON THE GND. MY POINT IN THIS RPT IS TO MAKE KNOWN THAT AN EMER DOOR HANDLE CAN BE AJAR ON THE MDT AND WHILE THE DOOR IS STILL SECURE THE SEAL IS DEFLATED AND WE HAVE NO COCKPIT INDICATION. THE AIRSTAIR DOOR ON THIS ACFT HAS A MICROSWITCH ON THE HANDLE THAT WILL LIGHT THE AIRSTAIR CAUTION LIGHT IF THE HANDLE IS EVEN SLIGHTLY OUT OF POS.

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.