Narrative:

Cargo door ECAM; unknown cause. Aft cargo door ECAM. ECAM and noise in back. Return to departure first for unusual noise in back; and then second time plane would not pressurize and third time because the good sensor indicated open. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this same event occurred on this aircraft the previous day. That crew returned to the departure airport and the next day were called in by chief pilot for incorrectly responding to the ECAM procedure. The day of this event; the aircraft pressurized normally during climb but at FL280 a door ECAM illuminated. The crew was unable to determine the door's position and the flight attendants reported a noise in the aircraft cabin. The crew elected to return and were met by the chief pilot who chastised them for an unnecessary return when they should have continued since the pressurization was normal. However; the crew cited abnormal sounds and the ECAM as reasons for the return. A mechanic was put in the flight station and after departing the gate; the ECAM returned and the aircraft would not pressurize. Upon return to the gate; a cargo door switch was MEL'ed and the flight departed only to have the ECAM again alert at FL280 on departure. The crew elected to return again and the flight was canceled. Each time the crew returned; maintenance attested that the door was closed but were unable to explain the door ECAM's continued alerting. This reporter was concerned because this aircraft's cargo door is not a plug type door and the possibility of it opening if something was wrong with the door locks or structure. The reporter stated that by this time the 290 passengers had been on aircraft 8 hours and had not been allowed by the passenger service agents to exit the aircraft even though the captain had authorized it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A330 PILOT REPORTS THREE AFT CARGO DOOR ECAM EVENTS ON THE SAME ACFT AND TRIP WITH ONE FAILURE TO PRESSURIZE ON THE GND.

Narrative: CARGO DOOR ECAM; UNKNOWN CAUSE. AFT CARGO DOOR ECAM. ECAM AND NOISE IN BACK. RETURN TO DEP FIRST FOR UNUSUAL NOISE IN BACK; AND THEN SECOND TIME PLANE WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE AND THIRD TIME BECAUSE THE GOOD SENSOR INDICATED OPEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THIS SAME EVENT OCCURRED ON THIS ACFT THE PREVIOUS DAY. THAT CREW RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT AND THE NEXT DAY WERE CALLED IN BY CHIEF PILOT FOR INCORRECTLY RESPONDING TO THE ECAM PROCEDURE. THE DAY OF THIS EVENT; THE ACFT PRESSURIZED NORMALLY DURING CLB BUT AT FL280 A DOOR ECAM ILLUMINATED. THE CREW WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE DOOR'S POSITION AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS REPORTED A NOISE IN THE ACFT CABIN. THE CREW ELECTED TO RETURN AND WERE MET BY THE CHIEF PILOT WHO CHASTISED THEM FOR AN UNNECESSARY RETURN WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED SINCE THE PRESSURIZATION WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER; THE CREW CITED ABNORMAL SOUNDS AND THE ECAM AS REASONS FOR THE RETURN. A MECHANIC WAS PUT IN THE FLT STATION AND AFTER DEPARTING THE GATE; THE ECAM RETURNED AND THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. UPON RETURN TO THE GATE; A CARGO DOOR SWITCH WAS MEL'ED AND THE FLT DEPARTED ONLY TO HAVE THE ECAM AGAIN ALERT AT FL280 ON DEP. THE CREW ELECTED TO RETURN AGAIN AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED. EACH TIME THE CREW RETURNED; MAINTENANCE ATTESTED THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED BUT WERE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN THE DOOR ECAM'S CONTINUED ALERTING. THIS REPORTER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS ACFT'S CARGO DOOR IS NOT A PLUG TYPE DOOR AND THE POSSIBILITY OF IT OPENING IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE DOOR LOCKS OR STRUCTURE. THE REPORTER STATED THAT BY THIS TIME THE 290 PASSENGERS HAD BEEN ON ACFT 8 HOURS AND HAD NOT BEEN ALLOWED BY THE PASSENGER SERVICE AGENTS TO EXIT THE ACFT EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT HAD AUTHORIZED IT.

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.