Narrative:

On morning, may/xx/97, aircraft was dispatched on trip from ZZZ to XXX at XB05. After being unable to pressurize the aircraft, the crew did 'air return' to ZZZ where it was discovered that the lower electrical compartment door was left open. The door was secured, aircraft refueled, overweight landing inspection performed and aircraft released for service. The door was left open by maintenance personnel after troubleshooting an avionics problem called out at departure time. While the crew did notify maintenance personnel of an electrical door light in the cockpit it was assumed it was the forward door that was at fault and the light was on due to an indication problem. At this time they verified the door was closed and the crew opted to continue on under MEL. Callback conversation with reporter of acn 369491 revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was the first officer and the aircraft was an MD80. He said that a request was made to the mechanics to rechk the doors prior to departure but only the wheelwell access door was checked. He also stated the crew should have requested a deferral of the door light which would have required a visual check for being closed and locked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD WHERE THE ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS FOUND OPEN.

Narrative: ON MORNING, MAY/XX/97, ACFT WAS DISPATCHED ON TRIP FROM ZZZ TO XXX AT XB05. AFTER BEING UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT, THE CREW DID 'AIR RETURN' TO ZZZ WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN. THE DOOR WAS SECURED, ACFT REFUELED, OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION PERFORMED AND ACFT RELEASED FOR SVC. THE DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN BY MAINT PERSONNEL AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING AN AVIONICS PROB CALLED OUT AT DEP TIME. WHILE THE CREW DID NOTIFY MAINT PERSONNEL OF AN ELECTRICAL DOOR LIGHT IN THE COCKPIT IT WAS ASSUMED IT WAS THE FORWARD DOOR THAT WAS AT FAULT AND THE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO AN INDICATION PROB. AT THIS TIME THEY VERIFIED THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THE CREW OPTED TO CONTINUE ON UNDER MEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR OF ACN 369491 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS THE FO AND THE ACFT WAS AN MD80. HE SAID THAT A REQUEST WAS MADE TO THE MECHS TO RECHK THE DOORS PRIOR TO DEP BUT ONLY THE WHEELWELL ACCESS DOOR WAS CHKED. HE ALSO STATED THE CREW SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A DEFERRAL OF THE DOOR LIGHT WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A VISUAL CHK FOR BEING 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.