Open avionics door prevents aircraft from pressurizing.

Attributes
ACN	293692
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : yyz
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 11550 flight time type : 3150
ASRS Report	293692
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On preflight walk around, discovered forward avionics compartment door open. Left open by maintenance working on radar write-up. Advised captain and at the gate he told the mechanic the equipment caution light was on. Ready for pushback, the mechanic unplugged his headset and closed the door. In the cockpit, the crew could hear the banging/opening/closing of the door. He (mechanic) came back on the headset and reported the door closed with the lock pins engaged. Pushback ensued, after confirmation from the mechanic. After takeoff, the aircraft would not pressurize. Flight returned to orlando with a normal landing. At the gate, the mechanic (a different one from pushback as a shift change had just occurred) found the forward avionics compartment door open. He secured the door and after refueling, the flight departed the gate without further incident. It seems that the mechanic on the first push checked and reported closed the east&east compartment door and did not observe the forward avionics door to be open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPEN AVIONICS DOOR PREVENTS ACFT FROM PRESSURIZING.

Narrative: ON PREFLT WALK AROUND, DISCOVERED FORWARD AVIONICS COMPARTMENT DOOR OPEN. LEFT OPEN BY MAINT WORKING ON RADAR WRITE-UP. ADVISED CAPT AND AT THE GATE HE TOLD THE MECH THE EQUIP CAUTION LIGHT WAS ON. READY FOR PUSHBACK, THE MECH UNPLUGGED HIS HEADSET AND CLOSED THE DOOR. IN THE COCKPIT, THE CREW COULD HEAR THE BANGING/OPENING/CLOSING OF THE DOOR. HE (MECH) CAME BACK ON THE HEADSET AND RPTED THE DOOR CLOSED WITH THE LOCK PINS ENGAGED. PUSHBACK ENSUED, AFTER CONFIRMATION FROM THE MECH. AFTER TKOF, THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. FLT RETURNED TO ORLANDO WITH A NORMAL LNDG. AT THE GATE, THE MECH (A DIFFERENT ONE FROM PUSHBACK AS A SHIFT CHANGE HAD JUST OCCURRED) FOUND THE FORWARD AVIONICS COMPARTMENT DOOR OPEN. HE SECURED THE DOOR AND AFTER REFUELING, THE FLT DEPARTED THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IT SEEMS THAT THE MECH ON THE FIRST PUSH CHKED AND RPTED CLOSED THE E&E COMPARTMENT DOOR AND DID NOT OBSERVE THE FORWARD AVIONICS DOOR TO BE OPEN.

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.