B737-300 crew took off with the aft cargo door open.

Attributes
ACN	562824
Time
Date	200210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	562824
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : differential pressure indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On taxi out for departure on runway 36R, we received a call from tpa operations that someone on the ground thought a cargo door was open on a taxiing aircraft. It was still dark, and we were the last of 3 company aircraft on the taxiway. We checked our overhead lights, and all were extinguished. We pushed the annunciator recall and checked each door light to ensure that they worked. All indications were normal. By this time, only other company aircraft was still on the ground. Operations was trying to reach that aircraft and we tried to assist, but he started his takeoff roll before we could make contact. We were cleared for takeoff, and we departed from tpa. On climb out, the aircraft would not pressurize. We got an automatic fail light, and the standby light illuminated. The outflow valve was closed, but the cabin was still climbing at 2000 FPM. We leveled off at 5000 ft, and told departure that we needed to return to the airport. At 210 KTS, we could feel some vibration in the aircraft, and confirmed this with the cabin crew. I advised the passenger of the pressurization problem, and we returned to tampa airport with an uneventful landing. Once we reached the gate, our aft cargo door was found to be in the full open position. The cargo bin had been loaded with freight, and it was all accounted for. Tampa maintenance checked the aft cargo door and found no damage. Our cockpit door warning light system was checked, and the aft cargo door light was still extinguished (lamp checked ok). The light system was deferred under MEL 52-3, and we continued on to our destination. The cause of the event was the failure of the ground crew to secure the door, and failure to verify that as required by pushback procedures. The remedy would be limited to ground operations department. Supplemental information from acn 562825: we checked the overhead door lights as well as the master caution recall with no indication of an open door. Upon departure from tpa, the aircraft did not pressurize. Upon arrival at the gate, it was discovered that the aircraft cargo door was open. A company mechanic came to the cockpit and confirmed that there was no associated light on for the aft cargo door. Additionally, the master recall failed to produce a 'doors' light.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW TOOK OFF WITH THE AFT CARGO DOOR OPEN.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FOR DEP ON RWY 36R, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM TPA OPS THAT SOMEONE ON THE GND THOUGHT A CARGO DOOR WAS OPEN ON A TAXIING ACFT. IT WAS STILL DARK, AND WE WERE THE LAST OF 3 COMPANY ACFT ON THE TXWY. WE CHKED OUR OVERHEAD LIGHTS, AND ALL WERE EXTINGUISHED. WE PUSHED THE ANNUNCIATOR RECALL AND CHKED EACH DOOR LIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THEY WORKED. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. BY THIS TIME, ONLY OTHER COMPANY ACFT WAS STILL ON THE GND. OPS WAS TRYING TO REACH THAT ACFT AND WE TRIED TO ASSIST, BUT HE STARTED HIS TKOF ROLL BEFORE WE COULD MAKE CONTACT. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, AND WE DEPARTED FROM TPA. ON CLBOUT, THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. WE GOT AN AUTO FAIL LIGHT, AND THE STANDBY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE OUTFLOW VALVE WAS CLOSED, BUT THE CABIN WAS STILL CLBING AT 2000 FPM. WE LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT, AND TOLD DEP THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. AT 210 KTS, WE COULD FEEL SOME VIBRATION IN THE ACFT, AND CONFIRMED THIS WITH THE CABIN CREW. I ADVISED THE PAX OF THE PRESSURIZATION PROB, AND WE RETURNED TO TAMPA ARPT WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ONCE WE REACHED THE GATE, OUR AFT CARGO DOOR WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE FULL OPEN POS. THE CARGO BIN HAD BEEN LOADED WITH FREIGHT, AND IT WAS ALL ACCOUNTED FOR. TAMPA MAINT CHKED THE AFT CARGO DOOR AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. OUR COCKPIT DOOR WARNING LIGHT SYS WAS CHKED, AND THE AFT CARGO DOOR LIGHT WAS STILL EXTINGUISHED (LAMP CHKED OK). THE LIGHT SYS WAS DEFERRED UNDER MEL 52-3, AND WE CONTINUED ON TO OUR DEST. THE CAUSE OF THE EVENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE GND CREW TO SECURE THE DOOR, AND FAILURE TO VERIFY THAT AS REQUIRED BY PUSHBACK PROCS. THE REMEDY WOULD BE LIMITED TO GND OPS DEPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 562825: WE CHKED THE OVERHEAD DOOR LIGHTS AS WELL AS THE MASTER CAUTION RECALL WITH NO INDICATION OF AN OPEN DOOR. UPON DEP FROM TPA, THE ACFT DID NOT PRESSURIZE. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT CARGO DOOR WAS OPEN. A COMPANY MECH CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO ASSOCIATED LIGHT ON FOR THE AFT CARGO DOOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE MASTER RECALL FAILED TO PRODUCE A 'DOORS' LIGHT.

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.