MD80 flight crew took off with a door warning light and is forced to return due to the door being op...

Attributes
ACN	584745
Time
Date	200306
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl.tower tower : hpn.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	584745
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : door light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During walkaround, I noticed numerous doors were open as maintenance was working on our inoperative APU. Prior to engine start, we noticed the electrical compartment door light on. We queried the ground crew, they went off headset and came back on and reported all doors closed and secured. The entry door was closed at this point and the jetbridge pulled, so we had no way of verifying the door position. The light was still on, so considering MEL 52-2, the captain and I discussed the situation and decided we could dispatch and crew placard the light and enter it into the logbook during our flight. After liftoff, we heard a loud roaring from under the airplane and the airplane failed to pressurize. We returned to stl for a normal landing -- under maximum landing weight. Upon inspection, the electrical compartment door was found to be latched open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW TOOK OFF WITH A DOOR WARNING LIGHT AND IS FORCED TO RETURN DUE TO THE DOOR BEING OPEN AT STL.

Narrative: DURING WALKAROUND, I NOTICED NUMEROUS DOORS WERE OPEN AS MAINT WAS WORKING ON OUR INOP APU. PRIOR TO ENG START, WE NOTICED THE ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT DOOR LIGHT ON. WE QUERIED THE GND CREW, THEY WENT OFF HEADSET AND CAME BACK ON AND RPTED ALL DOORS CLOSED AND SECURED. THE ENTRY DOOR WAS CLOSED AT THIS POINT AND THE JETBRIDGE PULLED, SO WE HAD NO WAY OF VERIFYING THE DOOR POS. THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON, SO CONSIDERING MEL 52-2, THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE SIT AND DECIDED WE COULD DISPATCH AND CREW PLACARD THE LIGHT AND ENTER IT INTO THE LOGBOOK DURING OUR FLT. AFTER LIFTOFF, WE HEARD A LOUD ROARING FROM UNDER THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO PRESSURIZE. WE RETURNED TO STL FOR A NORMAL LNDG -- UNDER MAX LNDG WT. UPON INSPECTION, THE ELECTRICAL COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS FOUND TO BE LATCHED OPEN.

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.

MD80 flight crew took off with a door warning light and is forced to return due to the door being open at stl.