The main cargo door came open in-flight on a B727 freighter.

Attributes
ACN	291270
Time
Date	199412
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl tower : tvc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	291270
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	290895
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 8R at atl, main cargo door came open in-flight. Climbed to 3000 ft MSL and turned downwind after notifying tower. We obtained permission from approach control to dump fuel and ran the appropriate checklists. Performed normal approach and landing on runway 8R. After shutdown, performed postflt inspection, found door open approximately 2 ft, but no structural damage. Supplemental information from acn 290895: the door was checked by the so visually and maintenance as closed and locked. There appeared to be a problem with the indicating system inside the cockpit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B727 freighter for a major freight airline. The so, an so check airman and a mechanic on the ground, all looked at the door before departure and saw that it was properly closed. The reporter states that there was a series of 3 electrical failures that caused this incident including the dogs did not rotate over center to capture the door and a relay on the so panel failed allowing the warning light to show the door closed when the locking sequence had not completed. After takeoff, the relay allowed the warning light to illuminate showing the door not locked. The check airman looked at the door to see that it was open. The air noise gave them another clue. The aircraft was kept below 190 KTS. There were no control problems. There was no consequential damage to the door or any part of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE MAIN CARGO DOOR CAME OPEN INFLT ON A B727 FREIGHTER.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 8R AT ATL, MAIN CARGO DOOR CAME OPEN INFLT. CLBED TO 3000 FT MSL AND TURNED DOWNWIND AFTER NOTIFYING TWR. WE OBTAINED PERMISSION FROM APCH CTL TO DUMP FUEL AND RAN THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. PERFORMED NORMAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 8R. AFTER SHUTDOWN, PERFORMED POSTFLT INSPECTION, FOUND DOOR OPEN APPROX 2 FT, BUT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 290895: THE DOOR WAS CHKED BY THE SO VISUALLY AND MAINT AS CLOSED AND LOCKED. THERE APPEARED TO BE A PROB WITH THE INDICATING SYS INSIDE THE COCKPIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B727 FREIGHTER FOR A MAJOR FREIGHT AIRLINE. THE SO, AN SO CHK AIRMAN AND A MECH ON THE GND, ALL LOOKED AT THE DOOR BEFORE DEP AND SAW THAT IT WAS PROPERLY CLOSED. THE RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS A SERIES OF 3 ELECTRICAL FAILURES THAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT INCLUDING THE DOGS DID NOT ROTATE OVER CTR TO CAPTURE THE DOOR AND A RELAY ON THE SO PANEL FAILED ALLOWING THE WARNING LIGHT TO SHOW THE DOOR CLOSED WHEN THE LOCKING SEQUENCE HAD NOT COMPLETED. AFTER TKOF, THE RELAY ALLOWED THE WARNING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE SHOWING THE DOOR NOT LOCKED. THE CHK AIRMAN LOOKED AT THE DOOR TO SEE THAT IT WAS OPEN. THE AIR NOISE GAVE THEM ANOTHER CLUE. THE ACFT WAS KEPT BELOW 190 KTS. THERE WERE NO CTL PROBS. THERE WAS NO CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE DOOR OR ANY PART OF THE ACFT.

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.