Return land mandated after large transport's aft cargo door opens just after liftoff.

Attributes
ACN	208877
Time
Date	199204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lit
State Reference	AR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	208877
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Before start checklist complete. Before pushback taxi checklist complete except for aft cargo door light and was so stated aft cargo door light to go 30 to 40 seconds the flight engineer stated door lights out. I being the first officer stated before pushback/taxi checklist complete. We push back and started the engines, received taxi clearance, the engineer received the weights and there were no changes. The before takeoff checklist was completed and we were cleared for takeoff on runway 22R. After the gear was called for and retracted the engineer stated that the aft cargo light came on. The captain and I acknowledged that fact and the captain called for flaps 5. Upon the flaps reaching position 5 we felt a buffeting and the captain felt and noticed the cabin climbing and at the same time tower told us to go to departure. We told departure we had to level off and did so at 2500 ft. The captain called for flaps 1 and we made a decision to return to the field and stay slow. An uneventful landing followed. In my opinion the crew handled the entire situation very professionally and effectively and SOP was used throughout.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED AFTER LGT'S AFT CARGO DOOR OPENS JUST AFTER LIFTOFF.

Narrative: BEFORE START CHKLIST COMPLETE. BEFORE PUSHBACK TAXI CHKLIST COMPLETE EXCEPT FOR AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT AND WAS SO STATED AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT TO GO 30 TO 40 SECONDS THE FLT ENGINEER STATED DOOR LIGHTS OUT. I BEING THE FO STATED BEFORE PUSHBACK/TAXI CHKLIST COMPLETE. WE PUSH BACK AND STARTED THE ENGS, RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC, THE ENGINEER RECEIVED THE WTS AND THERE WERE NO CHANGES. THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 22R. AFTER THE GEAR WAS CALLED FOR AND RETRACTED THE ENGINEER STATED THAT THE AFT CARGO LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAPT AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FACT AND THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS 5. UPON THE FLAPS REACHING POS 5 WE FELT A BUFFETING AND THE CAPT FELT AND NOTICED THE CABIN CLBING AND AT THE SAME TIME TWR TOLD US TO GO TO DEP. WE TOLD DEP WE HAD TO LEVEL OFF AND DID SO AT 2500 FT. THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS 1 AND WE MADE A DECISION TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND STAY SLOW. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. IN MY OPINION THE CREW HANDLED THE ENTIRE SITUATION VERY PROFESSIONALLY AND EFFECTIVELY AND SOP WAS USED THROUGHOUT.

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.