MD80 flight crew taxied out without cargo door stowed properly.

Attributes
ACN	685659
Time
Date	200601
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	other
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	685659
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	685660
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

All cargo doors were closed and verified by both crew members before calling for the 'prior to push' checklist. All door lights were out until just before taking the runway. We both noticed the 'mid cargo door' light on; and returned to the gate to have the door inspected. Maintenance informed us the door was not completely closed and the door lever was not stowed. The mechanic said that it may have been closed enough to turn the annunciator light out; but the handle was not closed fully. He closed the door and we departed. It appears that the ground crew did not do a proper walkaround before announcing that the walkaround check was complete. Resulting in our aircraft taxiing out without the mid cargo door being properly closed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW TAXIED OUT WITHOUT CARGO DOOR STOWED PROPERLY.

Narrative: ALL CARGO DOORS WERE CLOSED AND VERIFIED BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS BEFORE CALLING FOR THE 'PRIOR TO PUSH' CHKLIST. ALL DOOR LIGHTS WERE OUT UNTIL JUST BEFORE TAKING THE RWY. WE BOTH NOTICED THE 'MID CARGO DOOR' LIGHT ON; AND RETURNED TO THE GATE TO HAVE THE DOOR INSPECTED. MAINT INFORMED US THE DOOR WAS NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED AND THE DOOR LEVER WAS NOT STOWED. THE MECH SAID THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSED ENOUGH TO TURN THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT OUT; BUT THE HANDLE WAS NOT CLOSED FULLY. HE CLOSED THE DOOR AND WE DEPARTED. IT APPEARS THAT THE GND CREW DID NOT DO A PROPER WALKAROUND BEFORE ANNOUNCING THAT THE WALKAROUND CHK WAS COMPLETE. RESULTING IN OUR ACFT TAXIING OUT WITHOUT THE MID CARGO DOOR BEING PROPERLY CLOSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.