LJ25 crew reported the entrance door came open after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	514573
Time
Date	200106
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdd.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cak.tower
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Learjet 25
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	514573
Person 2
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Jun/xa/01 at XA00. I was assigned a new copilot and briefed him on his duties and what I wanted. I closed the cabin door and made the statement '2 handles forward.' I told the first officer his response was to be 'door light out.' the door light was on. I visually checked the door pins were in place -- must be a bad switch -- and proceeded to taxi. While taxiing, the door light went out 'must be a bad switch.' XA20 at hmr the first officer closed the door and reported '2 handles forward.' I replied 'door light on, are you sure 2 forward?' his response, 'yes, 2 forward.' as we taxied for about 1 mi, the door light went out. 'Must be a bad switch.' XA15, rdd, the copilot was busy with the 2 passenger as I was getting ready to start #2. He closed the door and reported '2 handles forward.' my response, 'damn door light still on.' taxied to runway 16 and waited for door light to go out. 'I guess the switch finally took a dump, are you sure both handles forward?' his reply, 'both forward.' takeoff was normal until just after rotation and gear was coming up, the outflow valve closed and the cabin started to pressurize. The top door opened and remained open. Turned down wind, slowed aircraft as much as possible, landed, inspected door, closed door, made sure handles forward, door pins checked and then returned to vny. Cause: first officer was distraction by passenger and did not properly close door, even though he did use the electric closing motor, did not put top handle forward. Captain was lulled into believing door was locked by the 2 preceding 'door light on and going off during taxi.' corrective actions; captain ensures that door is properly closed, even if it delays flight for 60 seconds. Flight duties come first, passenger comfort later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ25 CREW REPORTED THE ENTRANCE DOOR CAME OPEN AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: JUN/XA/01 AT XA00. I WAS ASSIGNED A NEW COPLT AND BRIEFED HIM ON HIS DUTIES AND WHAT I WANTED. I CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR AND MADE THE STATEMENT '2 HANDLES FORWARD.' I TOLD THE FO HIS RESPONSE WAS TO BE 'DOOR LIGHT OUT.' THE DOOR LIGHT WAS ON. I VISUALLY CHKED THE DOOR PINS WERE IN PLACE -- MUST BE A BAD SWITCH -- AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI. WHILE TAXIING, THE DOOR LIGHT WENT OUT 'MUST BE A BAD SWITCH.' XA20 AT HMR THE FO CLOSED THE DOOR AND RPTED '2 HANDLES FORWARD.' I REPLIED 'DOOR LIGHT ON, ARE YOU SURE 2 FORWARD?' HIS RESPONSE, 'YES, 2 FORWARD.' AS WE TAXIED FOR ABOUT 1 MI, THE DOOR LIGHT WENT OUT. 'MUST BE A BAD SWITCH.' XA15, RDD, THE COPLT WAS BUSY WITH THE 2 PAX AS I WAS GETTING READY TO START #2. HE CLOSED THE DOOR AND RPTED '2 HANDLES FORWARD.' MY RESPONSE, 'DAMN DOOR LIGHT STILL ON.' TAXIED TO RWY 16 AND WAITED FOR DOOR LIGHT TO GO OUT. 'I GUESS THE SWITCH FINALLY TOOK A DUMP, ARE YOU SURE BOTH HANDLES FORWARD?' HIS REPLY, 'BOTH FORWARD.' TKOF WAS NORMAL UNTIL JUST AFTER ROTATION AND GEAR WAS COMING UP, THE OUTFLOW VALVE CLOSED AND THE CABIN STARTED TO PRESSURIZE. THE TOP DOOR OPENED AND REMAINED OPEN. TURNED DOWN WIND, SLOWED ACFT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, LANDED, INSPECTED DOOR, CLOSED DOOR, MADE SURE HANDLES FORWARD, DOOR PINS CHKED AND THEN RETURNED TO VNY. CAUSE: FO WAS DISTR BY PAX AND DID NOT PROPERLY CLOSE DOOR, EVEN THOUGH HE DID USE THE ELECTRIC CLOSING MOTOR, DID NOT PUT TOP HANDLE FORWARD. CAPT WAS LULLED INTO BELIEVING DOOR WAS LOCKED BY THE 2 PRECEDING 'DOOR LIGHT ON AND GOING OFF DURING TAXI.' CORRECTIVE ACTIONS; CAPT ENSURES THAT DOOR IS PROPERLY CLOSED, EVEN IF IT DELAYS FLT FOR 60 SECONDS. FLT DUTIES COME FIRST, PAX COMFORT LATER.

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.