Narrative:

This incident occurred on a training flight from stewart, angb to elmendorf AFB, ak. I was the copilot, sic on military X. We had a door open warning light at FL220. Part of the emergency procedures states that the aircraft make a descent to handle a possible pressurization problem. Communication with zan was not possible at that time since we were out of range at the canada/alaska border. Since we were in VMC, we decided to descend and handle the emergency. We were not in communication with ATC, so we could not declare an emergency. The aircraft descended to 10000 ft, and the crew accomplished the appropriate emergency procedures. While performing these procedures, communication was established with another aircraft, and our intentions were relayed to zan. This occurred over a time period of about 5-10 mins. The crew handled the emergency procedure and determined it was a false indication. We climbed back to altitude without incident. We did not squawk the emergency transponder code because we did not want the sar launched for a probable false indication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL FLC OF A C130 DSNDED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHEN A DOOR OPEN LIGHT CAME ON DURING CRUISE. THEY DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER SINCE THEY WERE OUT OF RADIO FREQ RANGE AND IN VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER DSNDING TO 10000 FT, THE DOOR OPEN LIGHT CLRED AND THEY CLBED BACK TO ALT.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A TRAINING FLT FROM STEWART, ANGB TO ELMENDORF AFB, AK. I WAS THE COPLT, SIC ON MIL X. WE HAD A DOOR OPEN WARNING LIGHT AT FL220. PART OF THE EMER PROCS STATES THAT THE ACFT MAKE A DSCNT TO HANDLE A POSSIBLE PRESSURIZATION PROB. COM WITH ZAN WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THAT TIME SINCE WE WERE OUT OF RANGE AT THE CANADA/ALASKA BORDER. SINCE WE WERE IN VMC, WE DECIDED TO DSND AND HANDLE THE EMER. WE WERE NOT IN COM WITH ATC, SO WE COULD NOT DECLARE AN EMER. THE ACFT DSNDED TO 10000 FT, AND THE CREW ACCOMPLISHED THE APPROPRIATE EMER PROCS. WHILE PERFORMING THESE PROCS, COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ANOTHER ACFT, AND OUR INTENTIONS WERE RELAYED TO ZAN. THIS OCCURRED OVER A TIME PERIOD OF ABOUT 5-10 MINS. THE CREW HANDLED THE EMER PROC AND DETERMINED IT WAS A FALSE INDICATION. WE CLBED BACK TO ALT WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE DID NOT SQUAWK THE EMER XPONDER CODE BECAUSE WE DID NOT WANT THE SAR LAUNCHED FOR A PROBABLE FALSE INDICATION.

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.