Return land mandated by the cockpit crew escape hatch not being secured prior to flight.

Attributes
ACN	309614
Time
Date	199506
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdf
State Reference	KY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sdf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-C/F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	309614
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air turn-back -- B747-100. On climb out from sdf the crew heard lots of noise from the crew escape hatch. Upon inspection it was noticed that the hatch was improperly seated in the opening allowing the locking handle to rotate to nearly the full locked indication, but not properly closing and locking the hatch. As the so, on my preflight, I looked at the hatch, but did not physically pull on it to check that it was properly secured. Once airborne I could not get the hatch to seal and we returned to sdf. Maintenance removed and re-attached the hatch. We then proceeded to our destination uneventfully. My suggestion or comment is that I should have pre-flighted the hatch better, perhaps turning the handle to check for a fully locking situation and possibly opening and closing the hatch to ensure proper closing. A contributing factor was that the last person to close the hatch did so improperly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED BY THE COCKPIT CREW ESCAPE HATCH NOT BEING SECURED PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: AIR TURN-BACK -- B747-100. ON CLBOUT FROM SDF THE CREW HEARD LOTS OF NOISE FROM THE CREW ESCAPE HATCH. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE HATCH WAS IMPROPERLY SEATED IN THE OPENING ALLOWING THE LOCKING HANDLE TO ROTATE TO NEARLY THE FULL LOCKED INDICATION, BUT NOT PROPERLY CLOSING AND LOCKING THE HATCH. AS THE SO, ON MY PREFLT, I LOOKED AT THE HATCH, BUT DID NOT PHYSICALLY PULL ON IT TO CHK THAT IT WAS PROPERLY SECURED. ONCE AIRBORNE I COULD NOT GET THE HATCH TO SEAL AND WE RETURNED TO SDF. MAINT REMOVED AND RE-ATTACHED THE HATCH. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST UNEVENTFULLY. MY SUGGESTION OR COMMENT IS THAT I SHOULD HAVE PRE-FLIGHTED THE HATCH BETTER, PERHAPS TURNING THE HANDLE TO CHK FOR A FULLY LOCKING SIT AND POSSIBLY OPENING AND CLOSING THE HATCH TO ENSURE PROPER CLOSING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE LAST PERSON TO CLOSE THE HATCH DID SO IMPROPERLY.

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.