Narrative:

We departed the airport in somewhat of a rush. We and the ground crew were hurrying, but we completed the checklists thoroughly. The pod door light was visually confirmed by both of us to be extinguished. Approximately 25 mi away from our departure airport, our pod door light illuminated indicating the pod door may be open. The checklist indicated no action except to record the malfunction when we landed. We felt no abnormal vibration or heard no abnormal noise. An open pod door does not affect the flying characteristics of the airplane, as we were told in ground school, so there was no reduction of safety if it was actually open except that any bags in the pod may fall out. We knew we had at least one bag in the pod, so we kept our speed slow so as not to lose any bags, just in case the door was actually open. A deadheading crew member came up to the cockpit. He said he heard and felt the pod door fall open just a few minutes ago. The captain called the maintenance personnel at our departure point and discussed the problem. We proceeded at minimum airspeed and bank angle to the next system airport, and we made a precautionary landing. Upon arrival, the pod door was indeed found to be open and the only bag that had been put in the pod at our departure point was still in the pod. We lost no bags. Upon some investigation, the captain and I found out it was possible to turn the pod door handle only 1/2 way to get a door closed indication. We turned the handle to the 1/2 way closed position which is just before the overctr lock. At this point, the pod door light went out. I then pounded the door with my fist a couple of times and it sprang open. When a mechanic arrived, he investigated it as well and he said the overctr lock was weak. The mechanic taped the handle secure and signed off the aircraft. We departed for our original destination, which, was our company's maintenance base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE BAGGAGE POD DOOR OPENED IN FLT ON AN ACR LTT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED THE ARPT IN SOMEWHAT OF A RUSH. WE AND THE GND CREW WERE HURRYING, BUT WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS THOROUGHLY. THE POD DOOR LIGHT WAS VISUALLY CONFIRMED BY BOTH OF US TO BE EXTINGUISHED. APPROX 25 MI AWAY FROM OUR DEP ARPT, OUR POD DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THE POD DOOR MAY BE OPEN. THE CHKLIST INDICATED NO ACTION EXCEPT TO RECORD THE MALFUNCTION WHEN WE LANDED. WE FELT NO ABNORMAL VIBRATION OR HEARD NO ABNORMAL NOISE. AN OPEN POD DOOR DOES NOT AFFECT THE FLYING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE, AS WE WERE TOLD IN GND SCHOOL, SO THERE WAS NO REDUCTION OF SAFETY IF IT WAS ACTUALLY OPEN EXCEPT THAT ANY BAGS IN THE POD MAY FALL OUT. WE KNEW WE HAD AT LEAST ONE BAG IN THE POD, SO WE KEPT OUR SPD SLOW SO AS NOT TO LOSE ANY BAGS, JUST IN CASE THE DOOR WAS ACTUALLY OPEN. A DEADHEADING CREW MEMBER CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT. HE SAID HE HEARD AND FELT THE POD DOOR FALL OPEN JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO. THE CAPT CALLED THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT OUR DEP POINT AND DISCUSSED THE PROB. WE PROCEEDED AT MINIMUM AIRSPD AND BANK ANGLE TO THE NEXT SYS ARPT, AND WE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. UPON ARR, THE POD DOOR WAS INDEED FOUND TO BE OPEN AND THE ONLY BAG THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN THE POD AT OUR DEP POINT WAS STILL IN THE POD. WE LOST NO BAGS. UPON SOME INVESTIGATION, THE CAPT AND I FOUND OUT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO TURN THE POD DOOR HANDLE ONLY 1/2 WAY TO GET A DOOR CLOSED INDICATION. WE TURNED THE HANDLE TO THE 1/2 WAY CLOSED POS WHICH IS JUST BEFORE THE OVERCTR LOCK. AT THIS POINT, THE POD DOOR LIGHT WENT OUT. I THEN POUNDED THE DOOR WITH MY FIST A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT SPRANG OPEN. WHEN A MECH ARRIVED, HE INVESTIGATED IT AS WELL AND HE SAID THE OVERCTR LOCK WAS WEAK. THE MECH TAPED THE HANDLE SECURE AND SIGNED OFF THE ACFT. WE DEPARTED FOR OUR ORIGINAL DEST, WHICH, WAS OUR COMPANY'S MAINT BASE.

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.