B737-900 crew returned to the departure station with an electrical access door that was not closed.

Attributes
ACN	592610
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	592610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

During climb, we felt a vibration and heard a steady 'hum' from the lower cockpit area. I suspected it was the external power access door that most likely was not closed properly. (This was indeed the case after we returned.) our workload was very high as we were navigating around thunderstorms and dealing with a high volume of ATC traffic. I elected to return to ZZZ after approximately 15 mins from departure. I called ZZZ operations and asked them to notify dispatch and maintenance of our return as we had no time to contact them directly. After our return to ZZZ, I called dispatch on the phone to debrief as well as obtain an amended destination to our release. I was informed that the flight had already been 'closed out' in the computer and there was no way to enter the amendment (change of destination). It would seem to me that this should be done automatically by dispatch when flight crews have no time during high workloads such as this. We did not declare an emergency as we felt it was unnecessary. The dispatcher I worked with was very helpful and cooperative and agreed that a better system or program should address this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-900 CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP STATION WITH AN ELECTRICAL ACCESS DOOR THAT WAS NOT CLOSED.

Narrative: DURING CLB, WE FELT A VIBRATION AND HEARD A STEADY 'HUM' FROM THE LOWER COCKPIT AREA. I SUSPECTED IT WAS THE EXTERNAL PWR ACCESS DOOR THAT MOST LIKELY WAS NOT CLOSED PROPERLY. (THIS WAS INDEED THE CASE AFTER WE RETURNED.) OUR WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH AS WE WERE NAVING AROUND TSTMS AND DEALING WITH A HIGH VOLUME OF ATC TFC. I ELECTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ AFTER APPROX 15 MINS FROM DEP. I CALLED ZZZ OPS AND ASKED THEM TO NOTIFY DISPATCH AND MAINT OF OUR RETURN AS WE HAD NO TIME TO CONTACT THEM DIRECTLY. AFTER OUR RETURN TO ZZZ, I CALLED DISPATCH ON THE PHONE TO DEBRIEF AS WELL AS OBTAIN AN AMENDED DEST TO OUR RELEASE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLT HAD ALREADY BEEN 'CLOSED OUT' IN THE COMPUTER AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO ENTER THE AMENDMENT (CHANGE OF DEST). IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THIS SHOULD BE DONE AUTOMATICALLY BY DISPATCH WHEN FLT CREWS HAVE NO TIME DURING HIGH WORKLOADS SUCH AS THIS. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AS WE FELT IT WAS UNNECESSARY. THE DISPATCHER I WORKED WITH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND COOPERATIVE AND AGREED THAT A BETTER SYS OR PROGRAM SHOULD ADDRESS THIS.

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.