Return land with aircraft equipment problem.

Attributes
ACN	253205
Time
Date	199310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : lga
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing 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 : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5950 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	253205
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Preflight had been normal. All checklists accomplished. On takeoff roll, captain's window opened on large transport. Initial climb out was in accordance with SID, then after approximately 2000 ft MSL, I reduced power/climb rate and speed to 160 KIAS in order to communicate. Noise level was deafening. Requested and received ATC clearance for level off at 4000 ft and radar vectors for return to lga. Approach and landing uneventful. The window appeared to be closed and locked during preflight. The forward handle was closed and locked and we had a good 'closed' indication at the top. The 'window not closed' decal was not visible and the rear elbow appeared to be 90 degrees, but in fact the over-center lock had been left a fraction of an inch short of 90 degrees by whomever cleaned the windows the night before. This is very insidious and could only have been detected by opening the window and reclosing it. This is a defective design and incidents such as this one will continue to happen on the widebody transport/large transport aircraft. A squat switch is needed on the over- center lock that is tied in with the warning lights.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND WITH ACFT EQUIP PROB.

Narrative: PREFLT HAD BEEN NORMAL. ALL CHKLISTS ACCOMPLISHED. ON TKOF ROLL, CAPT'S WINDOW OPENED ON LGT. INITIAL CLBOUT WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SID, THEN AFTER APPROX 2000 FT MSL, I REDUCED PWR/CLB RATE AND SPD TO 160 KIAS IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE. NOISE LEVEL WAS DEAFENING. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED ATC CLRNC FOR LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT AND RADAR VECTORS FOR RETURN TO LGA. APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. THE WINDOW APPEARED TO BE CLOSED AND LOCKED DURING PREFLT. THE FORWARD HANDLE WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED AND WE HAD A GOOD 'CLOSED' INDICATION AT THE TOP. THE 'WINDOW NOT CLOSED' DECAL WAS NOT VISIBLE AND THE REAR ELBOW APPEARED TO BE 90 DEGS, BUT IN FACT THE OVER-CTR LOCK HAD BEEN LEFT A FRACTION OF AN INCH SHORT OF 90 DEGS BY WHOMEVER CLEANED THE WINDOWS THE NIGHT BEFORE. THIS IS VERY INSIDIOUS AND COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN DETECTED BY OPENING THE WINDOW AND RECLOSING IT. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND INCIDENTS SUCH AS THIS ONE WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN ON THE WDB/LGT ACFT. A SQUAT SWITCH IS NEEDED ON THE OVER- CTR LOCK THAT IS TIED IN WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS.

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.