Cabin door improperly latched. Door warning light came on at takeoff. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	243366
Time
Date	199306
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : teb
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	243366
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	243375
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just after liftoff, cabin door warning light came on dim and flickered during initial climb. Advised teb tower and requested a return to land. Approach and landing normal and uneventful. After stopping on ramp, found locking safety latch on door operating handle, barely making contact with warning light micro switch. Operated door through several closing cycles, and could not duplicate warning light if handle moved firmly into locking position. Departed for boston, trip normal and uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 243375: I looked at the annunciator panel, the 'cabin' light went out. However, I did not then look at the safety latch to check that it was in its proper position in front of the latching handle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN DOOR IMPROPERLY LATCHED. DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AT TKOF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: JUST AFTER LIFTOFF, CABIN DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DIM AND FLICKERED DURING INITIAL CLB. ADVISED TEB TWR AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO LAND. APCH AND LNDG NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. AFTER STOPPING ON RAMP, FOUND LOCKING SAFETY LATCH ON DOOR OPERATING HANDLE, BARELY MAKING CONTACT WITH WARNING LIGHT MICRO SWITCH. OPERATED DOOR THROUGH SEVERAL CLOSING CYCLES, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE WARNING LIGHT IF HANDLE MOVED FIRMLY INTO LOCKING POS. DEPARTED FOR BOSTON, TRIP NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 243375: I LOOKED AT THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, THE 'CABIN' LIGHT WENT OUT. HOWEVER, I DID NOT THEN LOOK AT THE SAFETY LATCH TO CHK THAT IT WAS IN ITS PROPER POS IN FRONT OF THE LATCHING HANDLE.

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.