Narrative:

During climb out from cincinnati, we received a master caution that read 'passenger dr latch' (passenger door latch). The abnormal checklist states: cabin pressure -- check normal, if pressure is normal -- no further pilot action. I asked the first officer to take communication #1 (ATC) while I call maintenance on communication #2. Maintenance informed me that during cold WX operations the door latch indicator tends to give false indications, even when the visual 'witness' marks are in proper alignment. The first officer and I decided we were dealing with a nuisance message (cabin pressure was normal). The first officer told me that he has requested to remain at 13000 ft until we completed the checklists and talked to maintenance. I then contacted ATC. I informed them that we would proceed to our destination (roc) and asked them for FL230 (due to reports of turbulence at higher altitudes). About 10 mins later, I told the controller that we were running very late and I requested a 'short cut.' without any hesitation, the controller gave us direct to buffalo. 20 mins later, we were told to contact ZOB and that he was aware of our situation. I wasn't sure what the controller was referring to, so I asked the next controller. He told me that we had an open door indication, we were maintaining 270 KIAS, and staying low just in case the door blew open. The controller then informed me that he 'hasn't declared an emergency yet.' I told the controller that we were doing 330 KIAS and the message was a false indication. He thanked me for the information, and we continued on our way. Upon initial contact with roc approach, the controller asked if we needed any special assistance. We were getting very busy and I told him we didn't need any assistance and that we didn't have any problems at all. By this time the nuisance message had gone out. After arriving at the gate, I talked to the next captain (crew change) about the message. The other captain and I then talked to the maintenance coordinator. We were all in agreement about the message being an anomaly. No maintenance 'write-up' was entered in the aircraft logbook, and the next crew flew the airplane. Later that evening, the first officer told me that he didn't remember what he told ATC because he was very nervous about the door. He thought he told the controllers that we had a door problem and that we wanted to do 270 KIAS. Somehow a door latch caution evolved into a story about a door unsafe condition. Even after I talked to the center controller and straightened everything out, the story grew again into something that it wasn't. I suspect the controller that cleared me direct to buffalo (at my request) probably thinks I value on time performance more than the safety of my passenger and crew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the door warning light went out prior to landing and was not entered in the logbook. The reporter said in the last 4 times this door warning has occurred 3 times it was a faulty door sensor or target problem and one time it was a master caution display problem. The reporter stated the exact cause of this incident was unknown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 IN CLB AT 13000 FT HAD A 'PAX DOOR LATCH' WARNING. NO PRESSURE PROBS AND DOOR LATCH MARKS WERE IN ALIGNMENT SO TRIP CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM CINCINNATI, WE RECEIVED A MASTER CAUTION THAT READ 'PAX DR LATCH' (PAX DOOR LATCH). THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST STATES: CABIN PRESSURE -- CHK NORMAL, IF PRESSURE IS NORMAL -- NO FURTHER PLT ACTION. I ASKED THE FO TO TAKE COM #1 (ATC) WHILE I CALL MAINT ON COM #2. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT DURING COLD WX OPS THE DOOR LATCH INDICATOR TENDS TO GIVE FALSE INDICATIONS, EVEN WHEN THE VISUAL 'WITNESS' MARKS ARE IN PROPER ALIGNMENT. THE FO AND I DECIDED WE WERE DEALING WITH A NUISANCE MESSAGE (CABIN PRESSURE WAS NORMAL). THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REQUESTED TO REMAIN AT 13000 FT UNTIL WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS AND TALKED TO MAINT. I THEN CONTACTED ATC. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD PROCEED TO OUR DEST (ROC) AND ASKED THEM FOR FL230 (DUE TO RPTS OF TURB AT HIGHER ALTS). ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE RUNNING VERY LATE AND I REQUESTED A 'SHORT CUT.' WITHOUT ANY HESITATION, THE CTLR GAVE US DIRECT TO BUFFALO. 20 MINS LATER, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT ZOB AND THAT HE WAS AWARE OF OUR SIT. I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE CTLR WAS REFERRING TO, SO I ASKED THE NEXT CTLR. HE TOLD ME THAT WE HAD AN OPEN DOOR INDICATION, WE WERE MAINTAINING 270 KIAS, AND STAYING LOW JUST IN CASE THE DOOR BLEW OPEN. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE 'HASN'T DECLARED AN EMER YET.' I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE DOING 330 KIAS AND THE MESSAGE WAS A FALSE INDICATION. HE THANKED ME FOR THE INFO, AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH ROC APCH, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. WE WERE GETTING VERY BUSY AND I TOLD HIM WE DIDN'T NEED ANY ASSISTANCE AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBS AT ALL. BY THIS TIME THE NUISANCE MESSAGE HAD GONE OUT. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE, I TALKED TO THE NEXT CAPT (CREW CHANGE) ABOUT THE MESSAGE. THE OTHER CAPT AND I THEN TALKED TO THE MAINT COORDINATOR. WE WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE MESSAGE BEING AN ANOMALY. NO MAINT 'WRITE-UP' WAS ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK, AND THE NEXT CREW FLEW THE AIRPLANE. LATER THAT EVENING, THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE TOLD ATC BECAUSE HE WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THE DOOR. HE THOUGHT HE TOLD THE CTLRS THAT WE HAD A DOOR PROB AND THAT WE WANTED TO DO 270 KIAS. SOMEHOW A DOOR LATCH CAUTION EVOLVED INTO A STORY ABOUT A DOOR UNSAFE CONDITION. EVEN AFTER I TALKED TO THE CTR CTLR AND STRAIGHTENED EVERYTHING OUT, THE STORY GREW AGAIN INTO SOMETHING THAT IT WASN'T. I SUSPECT THE CTLR THAT CLRED ME DIRECT TO BUFFALO (AT MY REQUEST) PROBABLY THINKS I VALUE ON TIME PERFORMANCE MORE THAN THE SAFETY OF MY PAX AND CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT PRIOR TO LNDG AND WAS NOT ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK. THE RPTR SAID IN THE LAST 4 TIMES THIS DOOR WARNING HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IT WAS A FAULTY DOOR SENSOR OR TARGET PROB AND ONE TIME IT WAS A MASTER CAUTION DISPLAY PROB. THE RPTR STATED THE EXACT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS UNKNOWN.

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.