Narrative:

A normal taxi out and takeoff was executed. At approximately 1200 ft AGL, a master warning annunciator 'cargo door' illuminated in-flight. I was the PF, and executed a normal landing. After we were on the ground, I checked the security of the door. All 3 indications ie, handle, stripe and button indicated the door was secure. I returned to check the status of the annunciator, it was still illuminated on the ground. After my first officer 'jiggled' the handle a few times the annunciator went out. I went back inside and called our dispatcher to inform him of the problem, and also asked about filling out a company occurrence form. I was informed to fill out and facsimile the form in to company when we arrived in albuquerque, which I later did. After my conversation with the company dispatcher, I realized that by looking at the aircraft maintenance log that this aircraft had the same discrepancy on may/yy/98, and was cleared up on may/zz/98. With this in mind I figured that a microswitch was the cause of the problem, since the door was secure when we checked it after landing. I never gave it a second thought and flew the airplane the rest of the day. I realize however that I should have consulted with maintenance before continuing to fly the airplane. This would have been the proper thing to do. I had never experienced this situation before, and unknowingly did not call maintenance, and continued to fly the aircraft. At approximately XA30 I was told over company radio, that I was to call our acting field management unit pilot (acting chief pilot), upon my landing at durango, co. At approximately XB30 I was told by the fmu that the correct thing to do about the situation this morning would have been to write up the discrepancy, which I did not do unknowingly. I was also told by the fmu that I faced possible license revocation/and or suspension and the company faced legal fines because of my error, of not writing up the discrepancy. At that point I tried to call our certificate chief pilot, only to get an answering machine. I did leave the message that I was calling to talk with him, and I had counseled with our acting fmu pilot. As we flew the airplane the rest of the day, we never again experienced the annunciator illuminate, and I had my first officer double check the security of the door after it was closed by station personnel. Again, we experienced no problems the remainder of the day. Upon landing, after the end of my shift, I informed the new captain picking up the airplane of the situation. The new captain taking the airplane called maintenance control and wrote up the discrepancy in the interest of safety. Again, I did not realize the severity of the situation at the time. Since the airplane had the exact discrepancy, which was cleared only a few days prior, I did not realize the importance of calling maintenance and informing them of the problem, since we were easily able to get the annunciator extinguished with just a jiggle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 1900D ON INITIAL CLB AT 1500 FT HAD A CARGO DOOR WARNING LIGHT AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD BUT NO MAINT DISCREPANCY WAS ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK.

Narrative: A NORMAL TAXI OUT AND TKOF WAS EXECUTED. AT APPROX 1200 FT AGL, A MASTER WARNING ANNUNCIATOR 'CARGO DOOR' ILLUMINATED INFLT. I WAS THE PF, AND EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG. AFTER WE WERE ON THE GND, I CHKED THE SECURITY OF THE DOOR. ALL 3 INDICATIONS IE, HANDLE, STRIPE AND BUTTON INDICATED THE DOOR WAS SECURE. I RETURNED TO CHK THE STATUS OF THE ANNUNCIATOR, IT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED ON THE GND. AFTER MY FO 'JIGGLED' THE HANDLE A FEW TIMES THE ANNUNCIATOR WENT OUT. I WENT BACK INSIDE AND CALLED OUR DISPATCHER TO INFORM HIM OF THE PROB, AND ALSO ASKED ABOUT FILLING OUT A COMPANY OCCURRENCE FORM. I WAS INFORMED TO FILL OUT AND FAX THE FORM IN TO COMPANY WHEN WE ARRIVED IN ALBUQUERQUE, WHICH I LATER DID. AFTER MY CONVERSATION WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCHER, I REALIZED THAT BY LOOKING AT THE ACFT MAINT LOG THAT THIS ACFT HAD THE SAME DISCREPANCY ON MAY/YY/98, AND WAS CLRED UP ON MAY/ZZ/98. WITH THIS IN MIND I FIGURED THAT A MICROSWITCH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROB, SINCE THE DOOR WAS SECURE WHEN WE CHKED IT AFTER LNDG. I NEVER GAVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE THE REST OF THE DAY. I REALIZE HOWEVER THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED WITH MAINT BEFORE CONTINUING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROPER THING TO DO. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SIT BEFORE, AND UNKNOWINGLY DID NOT CALL MAINT, AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT. AT APPROX XA30 I WAS TOLD OVER COMPANY RADIO, THAT I WAS TO CALL OUR ACTING FIELD MGMNT UNIT PLT (ACTING CHIEF PLT), UPON MY LNDG AT DURANGO, CO. AT APPROX XB30 I WAS TOLD BY THE FMU THAT THE CORRECT THING TO DO ABOUT THE SIT THIS MORNING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO WRITE UP THE DISCREPANCY, WHICH I DID NOT DO UNKNOWINGLY. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE FMU THAT I FACED POSSIBLE LICENSE REVOCATION/AND OR SUSPENSION AND THE COMPANY FACED LEGAL FINES BECAUSE OF MY ERROR, OF NOT WRITING UP THE DISCREPANCY. AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO CALL OUR CERTIFICATE CHIEF PLT, ONLY TO GET AN ANSWERING MACHINE. I DID LEAVE THE MESSAGE THAT I WAS CALLING TO TALK WITH HIM, AND I HAD COUNSELED WITH OUR ACTING FMU PLT. AS WE FLEW THE AIRPLANE THE REST OF THE DAY, WE NEVER AGAIN EXPERIENCED THE ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATE, AND I HAD MY FO DOUBLE CHK THE SECURITY OF THE DOOR AFTER IT WAS CLOSED BY STATION PERSONNEL. AGAIN, WE EXPERIENCED NO PROBS THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. UPON LNDG, AFTER THE END OF MY SHIFT, I INFORMED THE NEW CAPT PICKING UP THE AIRPLANE OF THE SIT. THE NEW CAPT TAKING THE AIRPLANE CALLED MAINT CTL AND WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. AGAIN, I DID NOT REALIZE THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT AT THE TIME. SINCE THE AIRPLANE HAD THE EXACT DISCREPANCY, WHICH WAS CLRED ONLY A FEW DAYS PRIOR, I DID NOT REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF CALLING MAINT AND INFORMING THEM OF THE PROB, SINCE WE WERE EASILY ABLE TO GET THE ANNUNCIATOR EXTINGUISHED WITH JUST A JIGGLE.

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.