Narrative:

Climbing through 12000 ft; the ECAM for the forward cargo door came up. We were headed west and requested a descent per the ECAM guidance and a turn away from the terrain. We coordination for a return to den with ATC. We did not request special ATC handling nor did we declare an emergency. After landing; we were told by maintenance that the door handle had not been latched properly. We departed again with no further problems. Concerns: 1) due to the location of the malfunction and the decision to return to denver; I attempted to contact den operations on their published frequency of 131.35. I got no response after several attempts. I contacted gate control on frequency 131.07 and advised them of our situation and asked if they would contact dispatch on my behalf. The person on the gate control frequency told me to contact zone on 131.35. I told them I had tried but that I got no response. The person on the gate frequency was not very helpful in coordination my request to contact dispatch. I sent an ACARS message to dispatch advising them of my intentions to return to den. They had been monitoring the flight and were aware that we may have had some problem. 2) dispatch sent a message to us on final that per the flight manual we could continue to our destination as long as the pressurization was normal. Although I appreciate the input from maintenance it came at an inappropriate time given that we had already decided to return to denver. I would have been likely to continue had we reached our cruise altitude but given our location and the fact that we would have had to climb over high terrain; I felt a return to denver was appropriate. My concern is that maintenance assumed the problem was an indication. In this case it was a real situation that if we continued to destination may have resulted in the cargo door opening in-flight. I don't know if this is possible but I am glad we decided to return to denver to have the indication checked. The first officer is to be commended for a fine job of managing the aircraft and keeping his situational awareness while I was in contact with the company and coordinating with the flight attendants.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW DEPARTING DEN; HAD A CARGO DOOR WARNING LIGHT PASSING 12000 FT AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO DEN. PRESSURIZATION REMAINED NORMAL.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT; THE ECAM FOR THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR CAME UP. WE WERE HEADED W AND REQUESTED A DSCNT PER THE ECAM GUIDANCE AND A TURN AWAY FROM THE TERRAIN. WE COORD FOR A RETURN TO DEN WITH ATC. WE DID NOT REQUEST SPECIAL ATC HANDLING NOR DID WE DECLARE AN EMER. AFTER LNDG; WE WERE TOLD BY MAINT THAT THE DOOR HANDLE HAD NOT BEEN LATCHED PROPERLY. WE DEPARTED AGAIN WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. CONCERNS: 1) DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE MALFUNCTION AND THE DECISION TO RETURN TO DENVER; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DEN OPS ON THEIR PUBLISHED FREQ OF 131.35. I GOT NO RESPONSE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I CONTACTED GATE CTL ON FREQ 131.07 AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR SIT AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD CONTACT DISPATCH ON MY BEHALF. THE PERSON ON THE GATE CTL FREQ TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZONE ON 131.35. I TOLD THEM I HAD TRIED BUT THAT I GOT NO RESPONSE. THE PERSON ON THE GATE FREQ WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL IN COORD MY REQUEST TO CONTACT DISPATCH. I SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH ADVISING THEM OF MY INTENTIONS TO RETURN TO DEN. THEY HAD BEEN MONITORING THE FLT AND WERE AWARE THAT WE MAY HAVE HAD SOME PROB. 2) DISPATCH SENT A MESSAGE TO US ON FINAL THAT PER THE FLT MANUAL WE COULD CONTINUE TO OUR DEST AS LONG AS THE PRESSURIZATION WAS NORMAL. ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE INPUT FROM MAINT IT CAME AT AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME GIVEN THAT WE HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO RETURN TO DENVER. I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY TO CONTINUE HAD WE REACHED OUR CRUISE ALT BUT GIVEN OUR LOCATION AND THE FACT THAT WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLB OVER HIGH TERRAIN; I FELT A RETURN TO DENVER WAS APPROPRIATE. MY CONCERN IS THAT MAINT ASSUMED THE PROB WAS AN INDICATION. IN THIS CASE IT WAS A REAL SIT THAT IF WE CONTINUED TO DEST MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THE CARGO DOOR OPENING INFLT. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POSSIBLE BUT I AM GLAD WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO DENVER TO HAVE THE INDICATION CHKED. THE FO IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR A FINE JOB OF MANAGING THE ACFT AND KEEPING HIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHILE I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE COMPANY AND COORDINATING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS.

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.