Narrative:

Operations at the gate were normal with the exception that the aft airstairs were raised early in the boarding process. I directed the ramp agent to lower the airstairs until we were near departure time. At departure time, the airstairs were raised and the so noted that the airstairs and all door lights were out. Pushback and taxi were normal. We did a delayed engine start of our last engine. The so shut down the APU and confirmed all lights were out and did a bulb test. Our planned takeoff weight was 181900 pounds. On takeoff roll just prior to vr (145 KTS) I heard an unidented radio call that a door was open. About the same time, the so informed me that the aft cargo door light was illuminated. There was no adverse aircraft control characteristics. The takeoff was continued. After takeoff, tower informed us that it was our aircraft that had the open door. I retracted the gear and left the flaps at 15 degrees in order to remain at a slow airspeed. The first officer was given the airplane for flying, while the so and I accomplished the checklists. We requested vectors to remain clear of populated areas and a climb to 6000 ft to dump fuel. I conferred with the flight attendants and had some passenger moved away from the cargo door area. Approaching 5000 ft the #3 engine made repeated compressor stalls. We accomplished a precautionary shutdown of the #3 engine. An emergency was declared with ATC. Radio coordination was made with our ramp tower and our dispatcher. Emergency equipment was also requested as a precaution. Fuel was dumped to give us a landing weight of approximately 154000 pounds. The approach and landing on runway 36L was normal and uneventful. After clearing the runway I had the fire/rescue crew check our aircraft for damage. Finding no damage, other than an open aft cargo door, they cleared us to taxi to the ramp. Our flight attendants did an excellent job, our passenger remained calm, and there were no injuries or medical problems. The reason the aft cargo came open, at this point, is still unknown. Supplemental information from acn 436393: prior to pushback I confirmed all door lights were extinguished on the so's warning panel. I tested the bulbs twice (both times the bulbs tested good). After the delayed start of the #3 engine and shut down of the APU I confirmed all lights were out on the so's warning panel and tested the light bulbs (test was good). At about vr (145 KIAS) while making a quick check of the oil pressure on the so's panel, I noticed the 'aft cargo' door light was illuminated. I made one calm announcement of this fact only, due to the critical phase of flight (to avoid a high speed abort). At about the same time on frequency 124.15 there were a couple of calls about things falling off or out of an aircraft's aft door. The aft flight attendant called forward to confirm a passenger saw the door open. Either the light warning system was faulty or the door came open due to speed, vibration and pressurization and an incomplete lock of the handle. Supplemental information from acn 437014: at this point I was very glad to be in a 3-MAN cockpit. CRM training kicked in as the captain delegated flying and ATC communication to me, the first officer, while he initiated climb, descent, approach, door open in-flight, and engine failure, shutdown checklists with the so. Total time from takeoff to landing was 18 mins. I am a strong believer in a 3-MAN crew and I feel the industry move toward 2-MAN aircraft in order to reduce costs is playing the odds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 HAS TO RETURN LAND AFTER INGESTING SOME BAGGAGE FROM AN OPENED BAGGAGE DOOR DURING TKOF.

Narrative: OPS AT THE GATE WERE NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE AFT AIRSTAIRS WERE RAISED EARLY IN THE BOARDING PROCESS. I DIRECTED THE RAMP AGENT TO LOWER THE AIRSTAIRS UNTIL WE WERE NEAR DEP TIME. AT DEP TIME, THE AIRSTAIRS WERE RAISED AND THE SO NOTED THAT THE AIRSTAIRS AND ALL DOOR LIGHTS WERE OUT. PUSHBACK AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. WE DID A DELAYED ENG START OF OUR LAST ENG. THE SO SHUT DOWN THE APU AND CONFIRMED ALL LIGHTS WERE OUT AND DID A BULB TEST. OUR PLANNED TKOF WT WAS 181900 LBS. ON TKOF ROLL JUST PRIOR TO VR (145 KTS) I HEARD AN UNIDENTED RADIO CALL THAT A DOOR WAS OPEN. ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE SO INFORMED ME THAT THE AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS NO ADVERSE ACFT CTL CHARACTERISTICS. THE TKOF WAS CONTINUED. AFTER TKOF, TWR INFORMED US THAT IT WAS OUR ACFT THAT HAD THE OPEN DOOR. I RETRACTED THE GEAR AND LEFT THE FLAPS AT 15 DEGS IN ORDER TO REMAIN AT A SLOW AIRSPD. THE FO WAS GIVEN THE AIRPLANE FOR FLYING, WHILE THE SO AND I ACCOMPLISHED THE CHKLISTS. WE REQUESTED VECTORS TO REMAIN CLR OF POPULATED AREAS AND A CLB TO 6000 FT TO DUMP FUEL. I CONFERRED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND HAD SOME PAX MOVED AWAY FROM THE CARGO DOOR AREA. APCHING 5000 FT THE #3 ENG MADE REPEATED COMPRESSOR STALLS. WE ACCOMPLISHED A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF THE #3 ENG. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC. RADIO COORD WAS MADE WITH OUR RAMP TWR AND OUR DISPATCHER. EMER EQUIP WAS ALSO REQUESTED AS A PRECAUTION. FUEL WAS DUMPED TO GIVE US A LNDG WT OF APPROX 154000 LBS. THE APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 36L WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. AFTER CLRING THE RWY I HAD THE FIRE/RESCUE CREW CHK OUR ACFT FOR DAMAGE. FINDING NO DAMAGE, OTHER THAN AN OPEN AFT CARGO DOOR, THEY CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. OUR FLT ATTENDANTS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB, OUR PAX REMAINED CALM, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR MEDICAL PROBS. THE REASON THE AFT CARGO CAME OPEN, AT THIS POINT, IS STILL UNKNOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 436393: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK I CONFIRMED ALL DOOR LIGHTS WERE EXTINGUISHED ON THE SO'S WARNING PANEL. I TESTED THE BULBS TWICE (BOTH TIMES THE BULBS TESTED GOOD). AFTER THE DELAYED START OF THE #3 ENG AND SHUT DOWN OF THE APU I CONFIRMED ALL LIGHTS WERE OUT ON THE SO'S WARNING PANEL AND TESTED THE LIGHT BULBS (TEST WAS GOOD). AT ABOUT VR (145 KIAS) WHILE MAKING A QUICK CHK OF THE OIL PRESSURE ON THE SO'S PANEL, I NOTICED THE 'AFT CARGO' DOOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I MADE ONE CALM ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS FACT ONLY, DUE TO THE CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT (TO AVOID A HIGH SPD ABORT). AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME ON FREQ 124.15 THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CALLS ABOUT THINGS FALLING OFF OR OUT OF AN ACFT'S AFT DOOR. THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FORWARD TO CONFIRM A PAX SAW THE DOOR OPEN. EITHER THE LIGHT WARNING SYS WAS FAULTY OR THE DOOR CAME OPEN DUE TO SPD, VIBRATION AND PRESSURIZATION AND AN INCOMPLETE LOCK OF THE HANDLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 437014: AT THIS POINT I WAS VERY GLAD TO BE IN A 3-MAN COCKPIT. CRM TRAINING KICKED IN AS THE CAPT DELEGATED FLYING AND ATC COM TO ME, THE FO, WHILE HE INITIATED CLB, DSCNT, APCH, DOOR OPEN INFLT, AND ENG FAILURE, SHUTDOWN CHKLISTS WITH THE SO. TOTAL TIME FROM TKOF TO LNDG WAS 18 MINS. I AM A STRONG BELIEVER IN A 3-MAN CREW AND I FEEL THE INDUSTRY MOVE TOWARD 2-MAN ACFT IN ORDER TO REDUCE COSTS IS PLAYING THE ODDS.

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.