Narrative:

After what seemed like a normal pushback and departure; while we were climbing above 25000 ft and level off at 34000 ft; the aircraft was having a hard time holding a steady airspeed. It was like we were in a mountain wave. The first officer said the nose was heavy during liftoff. I requested that dispatch check the actual load versus the planned load. They said the aircraft was loaded as planned; except for 26 pounds of live animals in the forward cargo compartment (which was not on the closeout). Dispatch also suggested; and I agreed; to do an off-load audit in dfw. After about 30 minutes the plane started flying normally. After finishing the parking checklist; I went down on the ramp because I wanted to see if there was more than just animals in the forward cargo compartment. When I got down there; one of the ramp workers told me that the aircraft taxied in with the forward baggage door handle unlatched (sticking out). He just pushed on the door and it opened in. I pulled the door closed with the handle unlatched and went up into the cockpit to see what the door warning light said. The light was out; indicating that the door was closed. I then called maintenance about a faulty light indication. He checked the door and said everything was normal; and that the light is only controled by a micro switch on the side of the door; the handle can be in any position! I checked this out on the next aircraft I flew and got the same indication. Door closed; handle unlatched; and warning light out. Somebody needs to look into this. The people that did the audit said everything was loaded as planned. The aircraft also pressurized normally.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that two facts were evident; there was no forward cargo door warning and there was no pressurization malfunction or indication of a pressure leak. The door was found on arrival in the closed position resting on the door seal with the door locking handle extended. Reporter indicated the door was tested and found the door sensor monitors only the door closed position but not locked. The reporter tested a second airplane and this was the same situation; open the door get the warning light. Close the door; but unlocked; the light is out. The reporter indicated this airplane was flown with the doors closed and locked with the handles stowed and had no repeat of the airspeed problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLB FROM FL250 TO LEVEL OFF AT FL340 FOUND DIFFICULT TO HOLD A STEADY SPD AND FO SAID AIRPLANE APPEARED NOSE HVY. LOAD AUDIT REVEALED WT AND BAL WITHIN LIMITS. RAMP CREW RPTED ACFT HAD FWD CARGO DOOR HANDLE CLOSED BUT NOT LOCKED UPON ARR. FLT CREW RPTED DOOR WARNING LIGHT WAS OUT AND DOES NOT CHK HANDLE HANDLE POSITION.

Narrative: AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A NORMAL PUSHBACK AND DEP; WHILE WE WERE CLBING ABOVE 25000 FT AND LEVEL OFF AT 34000 FT; THE ACFT WAS HAVING A HARD TIME HOLDING A STEADY AIRSPD. IT WAS LIKE WE WERE IN A MOUNTAIN WAVE. THE FO SAID THE NOSE WAS HVY DURING LIFTOFF. I REQUESTED THAT DISPATCH CHK THE ACTUAL LOAD VERSUS THE PLANNED LOAD. THEY SAID THE ACFT WAS LOADED AS PLANNED; EXCEPT FOR 26 LBS OF LIVE ANIMALS IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT (WHICH WAS NOT ON THE CLOSEOUT). DISPATCH ALSO SUGGESTED; AND I AGREED; TO DO AN OFF-LOAD AUDIT IN DFW. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE PLANE STARTED FLYING NORMALLY. AFTER FINISHING THE PARKING CHKLIST; I WENT DOWN ON THE RAMP BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS MORE THAN JUST ANIMALS IN THE FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT. WHEN I GOT DOWN THERE; ONE OF THE RAMP WORKERS TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT TAXIED IN WITH THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR HANDLE UNLATCHED (STICKING OUT). HE JUST PUSHED ON THE DOOR AND IT OPENED IN. I PULLED THE DOOR CLOSED WITH THE HANDLE UNLATCHED AND WENT UP INTO THE COCKPIT TO SEE WHAT THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT SAID. THE LIGHT WAS OUT; INDICATING THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. I THEN CALLED MAINT ABOUT A FAULTY LIGHT INDICATION. HE CHKED THE DOOR AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL; AND THAT THE LIGHT IS ONLY CTLED BY A MICRO SWITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE DOOR; THE HANDLE CAN BE IN ANY POSITION! I CHKED THIS OUT ON THE NEXT ACFT I FLEW AND GOT THE SAME INDICATION. DOOR CLOSED; HANDLE UNLATCHED; AND WARNING LIGHT OUT. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS. THE PEOPLE THAT DID THE AUDIT SAID EVERYTHING WAS LOADED AS PLANNED. THE ACFT ALSO PRESSURIZED NORMALLY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT TWO FACTS WERE EVIDENT; THERE WAS NO FORWARD CARGO DOOR WARNING AND THERE WAS NO PRESSURIZATION MALFUNCTION OR INDICATION OF A PRESSURE LEAK. THE DOOR WAS FOUND ON ARR IN THE CLOSED POSITION RESTING ON THE DOOR SEAL WITH THE DOOR LOCKING HANDLE EXTENDED. RPTR INDICATED THE DOOR WAS TESTED AND FOUND THE DOOR SENSOR MONITORS ONLY THE DOOR CLOSED POSITION BUT NOT LOCKED. THE RPTR TESTED A SECOND AIRPLANE AND THIS WAS THE SAME SITUATION; OPEN THE DOOR GET THE WARNING LIGHT. CLOSE THE DOOR; BUT UNLOCKED; THE LIGHT IS OUT. THE RPTR INDICATED THIS AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN WITH THE DOORS CLOSED AND LOCKED WITH THE HANDLES STOWED AND HAD NO REPEAT OF THE AIRSPD PROBLEM.

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.