Narrative:

Shortly after liftoff, the cabin door handle caution light came on. In response, the captain decided to return to our departure base for landing. No special ATC handling was required, an emergency was not declared, and the subsequent descent and landing were uneventful. After parking at the gate, the captain inspected the door handle and door and verified that the required mechanical indices were correctly aligned (door safely secured). He then went inside to operations. The flight attendant and I remained in the aircraft with our 4 passenger. After about 15 mins, the captain returned and said that he had discussed the situation with maintenance. They agreed that it was safe to continue provided that the door indices were visually verified to be aligned prior to every departure. This was consistent with the aircraft abnormal procedures checklist and the aircraft MEL. We then departed, and all subsequent flying was uneventful. En route to our next destination, I pulled out our company operations manual and reviewed with the captain the section on irregularities. Unscheduled or precautionary lndgs require immediate coordinator notification, immediate ATC notification as appropriate, a logbook entry, and the captain's written statement. We had departed without making a logbook entry. In addition, the captain later told me that he had not called our company flight control dispatch coordinator. I don't know, however, that dispatch wasn't already 'in the loop' as a result of communication with our station personnel. The deviations could have been prevented had we taken more time to insure that required documentation and notification were accomplished. As a first officer, I should have been more questioning with regard to compliance with directives. At the time we had been on duty for more than 14 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS DOOR HANDLE CAUTION LIGHT ACTIVATE AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE CABIN DOOR HANDLE CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON. IN RESPONSE, THE CAPT DECIDED TO RETURN TO OUR DEP BASE FOR LNDG. NO SPECIAL ATC HANDLING WAS REQUIRED, AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED, AND THE SUBSEQUENT DSCNT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE, THE CAPT INSPECTED THE DOOR HANDLE AND DOOR AND VERIFIED THAT THE REQUIRED MECHANICAL INDICES WERE CORRECTLY ALIGNED (DOOR SAFELY SECURED). HE THEN WENT INSIDE TO OPS. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND I REMAINED IN THE ACFT WITH OUR 4 PAX. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS, THE CAPT RETURNED AND SAID THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH MAINT. THEY AGREED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE PROVIDED THAT THE DOOR INDICES WERE VISUALLY VERIFIED TO BE ALIGNED PRIOR TO EVERY DEP. THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ACFT ABNORMAL PROCS CHKLIST AND THE ACFT MEL. WE THEN DEPARTED, AND ALL SUBSEQUENT FLYING WAS UNEVENTFUL. ENRTE TO OUR NEXT DEST, I PULLED OUT OUR COMPANY OPS MANUAL AND REVIEWED WITH THE CAPT THE SECTION ON IRREGULARITIES. UNSCHEDULED OR PRECAUTIONARY LNDGS REQUIRE IMMEDIATE COORDINATOR NOTIFICATION, IMMEDIATE ATC NOTIFICATION AS APPROPRIATE, A LOGBOOK ENTRY, AND THE CAPT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT. WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT MAKING A LOGBOOK ENTRY. IN ADDITION, THE CAPT LATER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NOT CALLED OUR COMPANY FLT CTL DISPATCH COORDINATOR. I DON'T KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT DISPATCH WASN'T ALREADY 'IN THE LOOP' AS A RESULT OF COM WITH OUR STATION PERSONNEL. THE DEVS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE TAKEN MORE TIME TO INSURE THAT REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AND NOTIFICATION WERE ACCOMPLISHED. AS A FO, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE QUESTIONING WITH REGARD TO COMPLIANCE WITH DIRECTIVES. AT THE TIME WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR MORE THAN 14 HRS.

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.