Narrative:

I was the captain and pilot-in-command of the flight. Aircraft was operating with a deferred maintenance item forward cargo compartment door indication system. This required visual inspection of forward cargo door prior to each flight in order to verify that door was closed. Just prior to pushback and after the forward cargo door was closed by ground personnel; I went outside to inspect the door in accordance with proper procedure. A ramp agent was present with me during this inspection and agreed that the forward cargo door was closed. Shortly after takeoff; I noticed an unusual noise. Upon reaching our assigned altitude of 3000 ft; I reported a possible pressurization problem to departure control and asked to remain at 3000 ft until we resolved the problem. We contacted dispatch. After then discussing the matter with maintenance control and exercising full authority; the first officer and I elected to return to our departure airport. Upon landing; ground control told us that it appeared a door was open in front of our left wing. At the gate we found the forward cargo door in the open and locked position and the cargo door safety net almost completely detached from the retaining hooks. At no time during the flight did we receive any caution or warning messages. All doors were showing closed and green on EICAS synoptic page. Later in the day; a ground crew supervisor informed me that the ramp agent that closed the forward cargo door did not properly secure the cargo net. Subsequently; I was told that two passenger each reported missing one bag. According to the mechanic who worked on the aircraft; two spring loaded metal arms in the door locking mechanism were not functioning properly. The mechanic further explained that the malfunctioning arms allowed the door to close and appear locked without properly locking.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the fwd cargo compartment door indication system was deferred for being unreliable. Appears a wire for the proximity switch was partially cut. The caution message and the EICAS synoptic page would at times indicate door closed when fwd cargo door was actually still opened. Other times the door showed open when visually showed closed. Reporter also explains the loud noise that was heard by the crew and passenger as they climbed through 2000 ft. They also were noticing the cabin pressurization was not operating as normal. However; without any caution or warning messages; and the fwd cargo door position indication deferred as unreliable; yet still showing green (closed) on the synoptic page; they were not aware of the cargo door being opened; except for the loud noise. This fwd door moves outward and down extending below the cargo door cutout. After arrival; mechanics noticed the springs and the two rotation cams were stuck on a bolt; but the door would still show closed externally; yet; the door was not latched. Reporter also stated the ramp baggage loading crew doesn't believe they properly re-installed the cargo restraint netting prior to closing the door. Shifting baggage may have also contributed to the door un-latching from inside the baggage pit. In regards to the service bulletins about the door protector kits and the cargo restraint netting; reporter said he was not aware of the current status. There are no other external visual aids to verify door is closed other than the two handles and the pressure flap show flush and the door is faired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ-700 ACFT FWD CARGO DOOR OPENED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE. FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT DOOR INDICATION SYSTEM PREVIOUSLY DEFERRED.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND PILOT-IN-COMMAND OF THE FLIGHT. ACFT WAS OPERATING WITH A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM FORWARD CARGO COMPARTMENT DOOR INDICATION SYSTEM. THIS REQUIRED VISUAL INSPECTION OF FORWARD CARGO DOOR PRIOR TO EACH FLT IN ORDER TO VERIFY THAT DOOR WAS CLOSED. JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AND AFTER THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WAS CLOSED BY GND PERSONNEL; I WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE DOOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROPER PROCEDURE. A RAMP AGENT WAS PRESENT WITH ME DURING THIS INSPECTION AND AGREED THAT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WAS CLOSED. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF; I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL NOISE. UPON REACHING OUR ASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 3000 FT; I RPTED A POSSIBLE PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM TO DEP CTL AND ASKED TO REMAIN AT 3000 FT UNTIL WE RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH. AFTER THEN DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH MAINT CTL AND EXERCISING FULL AUTHORITY; THE FO AND I ELECTED TO RETURN TO OUR DEP ARPT. UPON LNDG; GND CTL TOLD US THAT IT APPEARED A DOOR WAS OPEN IN FRONT OF OUR L WING. AT THE GATE WE FOUND THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR IN THE OPEN AND LOCKED POSITION AND THE CARGO DOOR SAFETY NET ALMOST COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE RETAINING HOOKS. AT NO TIME DURING THE FLT DID WE RECEIVE ANY CAUTION OR WARNING MESSAGES. ALL DOORS WERE SHOWING CLOSED AND GREEN ON EICAS SYNOPTIC PAGE. LATER IN THE DAY; A GND CREW SUPERVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THE RAMP AGENT THAT CLOSED THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR DID NOT PROPERLY SECURE THE CARGO NET. SUBSEQUENTLY; I WAS TOLD THAT TWO PAX EACH RPTED MISSING ONE BAG. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON THE ACFT; TWO SPRING LOADED METAL ARMS IN THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE MECHANIC FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT THE MALFUNCTIONING ARMS ALLOWED THE DOOR TO CLOSE AND APPEAR LOCKED WITHOUT PROPERLY LOCKING.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE FWD CARGO COMPARTMENT DOOR INDICATION SYSTEM WAS DEFERRED FOR BEING UNRELIABLE. APPEARS A WIRE FOR THE PROXIMITY SWITCH WAS PARTIALLY CUT. THE CAUTION MESSAGE AND THE EICAS SYNOPTIC PAGE WOULD AT TIMES INDICATE DOOR CLOSED WHEN FWD CARGO DOOR WAS ACTUALLY STILL OPENED. OTHER TIMES THE DOOR SHOWED OPEN WHEN VISUALLY SHOWED CLOSED. RPTR ALSO EXPLAINS THE LOUD NOISE THAT WAS HEARD BY THE CREW AND PAX AS THEY CLIMBED THROUGH 2000 FT. THEY ALSO WERE NOTICING THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION WAS NOT OPERATING AS NORMAL. HOWEVER; WITHOUT ANY CAUTION OR WARNING MESSAGES; AND THE FWD CARGO DOOR POSITION INDICATION DEFERRED AS UNRELIABLE; YET STILL SHOWING GREEN (CLOSED) ON THE SYNOPTIC PAGE; THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CARGO DOOR BEING OPENED; EXCEPT FOR THE LOUD NOISE. THIS FWD DOOR MOVES OUTWARD AND DOWN EXTENDING BELOW THE CARGO DOOR CUTOUT. AFTER ARR; MECHANICS NOTICED THE SPRINGS AND THE TWO ROTATION CAMS WERE STUCK ON A BOLT; BUT THE DOOR WOULD STILL SHOW CLOSED EXTERNALLY; YET; THE DOOR WAS NOT LATCHED. RPTR ALSO STATED THE RAMP BAGGAGE LOADING CREW DOESN'T BELIEVE THEY PROPERLY RE-INSTALLED THE CARGO RESTRAINT NETTING PRIOR TO CLOSING THE DOOR. SHIFTING BAGGAGE MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE DOOR UN-LATCHING FROM INSIDE THE BAGGAGE PIT. IN REGARDS TO THE SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT THE DOOR PROTECTOR KITS AND THE CARGO RESTRAINT NETTING; RPTR SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CURRENT STATUS. THERE ARE NO OTHER EXTERNAL VISUAL AIDS TO VERIFY DOOR IS CLOSED OTHER THAN THE TWO HANDLES AND THE PRESSURE FLAP SHOW FLUSH AND THE DOOR IS FAIRED.

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.