Narrative:

We had a quick turn at lga, 1 of many this day, captain and I both left the aircraft momentarily to go into the terminal, when we returned to the aircraft, the captain did an external walk around while I (the first officer) went into the cockpit to pick up the ATIS and the clearance -- captain returned -- after we were both inside the aircraft, ground crews svced the lav -- access panel was left open. There is no annunciator on this panel (or the fueling panel) to warn cockpit crews of this condition. We were notified of the open panel by another crew in another aircraft after both engines had been started and taxi initiated. 2 problems 1) the open panel was in full view of the ramp person who cleared us to start engines. 2) no annunciator. As to #1, we recently had an aircraft cleared to start the right engine while a mechanic was upon a step ladder performing a maintenance check on that same engine. Thankfully, no injury. For #2, the bean counters at the airline would never approve the installation of anything that wasn't mandated or built in. Seems that the ramp people should be impressed with their position in the chain of responsibility. Supplemental information from acn 292319: during taxi out from air carrier ramp, another aircraft told us our lavatory service door was open. Returned to gate, had service door secured and proceeded on our way. We believe an FAA inspector could have seen us taxi with the door open. A preflight was performed however it occurred before the lavatory was svced. A certain amount of trust is placed with ground support personnel to do their jobs correctly. The only way to avoid this in the future is to do a walk around immediately before departure which is not always practicable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND SVC PROB. AFTER WALK AROUND INSPECTION BY CAPT, SVC PERSONNEL LEFT LAVATORY SVC PANEL OPEN. ANOTHER FLC RPTED IT. ACFT RETURNED TO RAMP.

Narrative: WE HAD A QUICK TURN AT LGA, 1 OF MANY THIS DAY, CAPT AND I BOTH LEFT THE ACFT MOMENTARILY TO GO INTO THE TERMINAL, WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT, THE CAPT DID AN EXTERNAL WALK AROUND WHILE I (THE FO) WENT INTO THE COCKPIT TO PICK UP THE ATIS AND THE CLRNC -- CAPT RETURNED -- AFTER WE WERE BOTH INSIDE THE ACFT, GND CREWS SVCED THE LAV -- ACCESS PANEL WAS LEFT OPEN. THERE IS NO ANNUNCIATOR ON THIS PANEL (OR THE FUELING PANEL) TO WARN COCKPIT CREWS OF THIS CONDITION. WE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE OPEN PANEL BY ANOTHER CREW IN ANOTHER ACFT AFTER BOTH ENGS HAD BEEN STARTED AND TAXI INITIATED. 2 PROBS 1) THE OPEN PANEL WAS IN FULL VIEW OF THE RAMP PERSON WHO CLRED US TO START ENGS. 2) NO ANNUNCIATOR. AS TO #1, WE RECENTLY HAD AN ACFT CLRED TO START THE R ENG WHILE A MECH WAS UPON A STEP LADDER PERFORMING A MAINT CHK ON THAT SAME ENG. THANKFULLY, NO INJURY. FOR #2, THE BEAN COUNTERS AT THE AIRLINE WOULD NEVER APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF ANYTHING THAT WASN'T MANDATED OR BUILT IN. SEEMS THAT THE RAMP PEOPLE SHOULD BE IMPRESSED WITH THEIR POS IN THE CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 292319: DURING TAXI OUT FROM ACR RAMP, ANOTHER ACFT TOLD US OUR LAVATORY SVC DOOR WAS OPEN. RETURNED TO GATE, HAD SVC DOOR SECURED AND PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY. WE BELIEVE AN FAA INSPECTOR COULD HAVE SEEN US TAXI WITH THE DOOR OPEN. A PREFLT WAS PERFORMED HOWEVER IT OCCURRED BEFORE THE LAVATORY WAS SVCED. A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRUST IS PLACED WITH GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL TO DO THEIR JOBS CORRECTLY. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE IS TO DO A WALK AROUND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEP WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS PRACTICABLE.

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.