An air carrier light transport took off with a cargo door open.

Attributes
ACN	352126
Time
Date	199611
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
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 other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	352126
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7900 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	352123
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On takeoff runway 27R at atl, loud buffeting and vibration was encountered. No cockpit indications or warnings. Declared an emergency. Returned to land on runway 9R uneventfully. While taxiing in, ramp control notified us that the cargo door was open. Cause: ramp and flight crew failed to assure cargo door was closed. Contributing factors: cargo door light in cockpit was inoperative (deferred). I believe that this situation would not have occurred if the cargo door light had not been deferred per the MEL. Supplemental information from acn 352123: I was going through aircraft log and found the cargo warning light deferred. Paperwork said the 'cargo door light will not extinguish' but the light was extinguished. Major mistake assuming it was closed and locked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT TOOK OFF WITH A CARGO DOOR OPEN.

Narrative: ON TKOF RWY 27R AT ATL, LOUD BUFFETING AND VIBRATION WAS ENCOUNTERED. NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS OR WARNINGS. DECLARED AN EMER. RETURNED TO LAND ON RWY 9R UNEVENTFULLY. WHILE TAXIING IN, RAMP CTL NOTIFIED US THAT THE CARGO DOOR WAS OPEN. CAUSE: RAMP AND FLC FAILED TO ASSURE CARGO DOOR WAS CLOSED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CARGO DOOR LIGHT IN COCKPIT WAS INOP (DEFERRED). I BELIEVE THAT THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE CARGO DOOR LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN DEFERRED PER THE MEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 352123: I WAS GOING THROUGH ACFT LOG AND FOUND THE CARGO WARNING LIGHT DEFERRED. PAPERWORK SAID THE 'CARGO DOOR LIGHT WILL NOT EXTINGUISH' BUT THE LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED. MAJOR MISTAKE ASSUMING IT WAS CLOSED AND LOCKED.

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.