Narrative:

At start of pushback, the gate agent informed me, through the pushback crew, that the front door had a crack around the edge. Since I had no light in the cockpit, I decided to leave. Immediately after takeoff, the flight attendants notified me that there was a loud hiss by the front door and I heard it over the intercom. I checked pressurization and saw that the cabin was not pressurizing properly. It was climbing with the aircraft. Since our takeoff weight (121800 pounds) was under maximum landing weight, I decided to return to the field immediately. We turned back and landed immediately. I did not declare an emergency. At the gate, I contacted dispatch and maintenance and discussed the incident. Maintenance asked if the door worked now, so we closed it and all in attendance including the gate agent said it looked good. The crack she saw before was gone. Maintenance informed me that since we made no logbook entries and we knew what the problem was and resolved it, we could leave without further action. So we left without further incident. Also, I did not enter it into the logbook and have it signed off based on the discussion with maintenance who informed me that it was not required since we made no logbook entries and we knew what the problem was and resolved it, we could leave without further action. Later, I discussed the incident with my chief pilot and I decided that I probably should have had it signed off by a mechanic. Since it was an air interrupt incident, if it had happened again on takeoff, I would have the paperwork to show that we thought we had the problem resolved properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE A SECOND TIME AFTER AN AIR RETURN FOR UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE CABIN. FORWARD DOOR NOT CLOSED PROPERLY. DOOR CHKED OK, BUT NO LOGBOOK WRITE-UP.

Narrative: AT START OF PUSHBACK, THE GATE AGENT INFORMED ME, THROUGH THE PUSHBACK CREW, THAT THE FRONT DOOR HAD A CRACK AROUND THE EDGE. SINCE I HAD NO LIGHT IN THE COCKPIT, I DECIDED TO LEAVE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED ME THAT THERE WAS A LOUD HISS BY THE FRONT DOOR AND I HEARD IT OVER THE INTERCOM. I CHKED PRESSURIZATION AND SAW THAT THE CABIN WAS NOT PRESSURIZING PROPERLY. IT WAS CLBING WITH THE ACFT. SINCE OUR TKOF WT (121800 LBS) WAS UNDER MAX LNDG WT, I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD IMMEDIATELY. WE TURNED BACK AND LANDED IMMEDIATELY. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. AT THE GATE, I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT AND DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT. MAINT ASKED IF THE DOOR WORKED NOW, SO WE CLOSED IT AND ALL IN ATTENDANCE INCLUDING THE GATE AGENT SAID IT LOOKED GOOD. THE CRACK SHE SAW BEFORE WAS GONE. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT SINCE WE MADE NO LOGBOOK ENTRIES AND WE KNEW WHAT THE PROB WAS AND RESOLVED IT, WE COULD LEAVE WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION. SO WE LEFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ALSO, I DID NOT ENTER IT INTO THE LOGBOOK AND HAVE IT SIGNED OFF BASED ON THE DISCUSSION WITH MAINT WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED SINCE WE MADE NO LOGBOOK ENTRIES AND WE KNEW WHAT THE PROB WAS AND RESOLVED IT, WE COULD LEAVE WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION. LATER, I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH MY CHIEF PLT AND I DECIDED THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD IT SIGNED OFF BY A MECH. SINCE IT WAS AN AIR INTERRUPT INCIDENT, IF IT HAD HAPPENED AGAIN ON TKOF, I WOULD HAVE THE PAPERWORK TO SHOW THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD THE PROB RESOLVED PROPERLY.

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.