Flight crew operated aircraft with intermittent cargo door open light.

Attributes
ACN	297286
Time
Date	199502
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bog
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 15000 agl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 5600
ASRS Report	297286
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft (737-300) had received numerous write-ups in previous 5 days about aft cargo warning light coming on briefly on takeoffs than going out. Company MEL'ed door warning light as being inoperative. (Erroneous warning) -- at no time does review of logbook maintenance sheets indicate an inspection of lock and latch mechanism was accomplished to ascertain correct tolerances. Maintenance actions consisted of cleaning and checking tolerances of warning light switch. On pushback ground handlers verified aft cargo door crossed and locked. On takeoff, light came on momentarily and went out -- we disregarded and continued takeoff with pressurization normal. After 4 hour plus 10 min flight and landing door warning light came back on and remained on. At gate ground crew advised aft cargo door open approximately 6 inches. First officer verified door would swing fully open (inward) and locking handle could not be moved to latch door. (Pressurization was keeping inward opening door closed in flight.) maintenance personnel seem to be geared to assume warning lights are false -- and ground personnel are not trained well at this company. In the future when operating with door warning lights MEL'ed I will require door inspection by qualified maintenance personnel before gate departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OPERATED ACFT WITH INTERMITTENT CARGO DOOR OPEN LIGHT.

Narrative: ACFT (737-300) HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS WRITE-UPS IN PREVIOUS 5 DAYS ABOUT AFT CARGO WARNING LIGHT COMING ON BRIEFLY ON TKOFS THAN GOING OUT. COMPANY MEL'ED DOOR WARNING LIGHT AS BEING INOP. (ERRONEOUS WARNING) -- AT NO TIME DOES REVIEW OF LOGBOOK MAINT SHEETS INDICATE AN INSPECTION OF LOCK AND LATCH MECHANISM WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO ASCERTAIN CORRECT TOLERANCES. MAINT ACTIONS CONSISTED OF CLEANING AND CHKING TOLERANCES OF WARNING LIGHT SWITCH. ON PUSHBACK GND HANDLERS VERIFIED AFT CARGO DOOR CROSSED AND LOCKED. ON TKOF, LIGHT CAME ON MOMENTARILY AND WENT OUT -- WE DISREGARDED AND CONTINUED TKOF WITH PRESSURIZATION NORMAL. AFTER 4 HR PLUS 10 MIN FLT AND LNDG DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND REMAINED ON. AT GATE GND CREW ADVISED AFT CARGO DOOR OPEN APPROX 6 INCHES. FO VERIFIED DOOR WOULD SWING FULLY OPEN (INWARD) AND LOCKING HANDLE COULD NOT BE MOVED TO LATCH DOOR. (PRESSURIZATION WAS KEEPING INWARD OPENING DOOR CLOSED IN FLT.) MAINT PERSONNEL SEEM TO BE GEARED TO ASSUME WARNING LIGHTS ARE FALSE -- AND GND PERSONNEL ARE NOT TRAINED WELL AT THIS COMPANY. IN THE FUTURE WHEN OPERATING WITH DOOR WARNING LIGHTS MEL'ED I WILL REQUIRE DOOR INSPECTION BY QUALIFIED MAINT PERSONNEL BEFORE GATE DEP.

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.