Narrative:

Prior to departure we read the MEL 52-xx-X for the 'over wing emergency exit indicator system.' I performed the inspection of the l-hand over wing exit and it appeared to be in compliance with the requirements of the MEL. We departed and encountered multiple cumulus buildups and we were deviating for these when out of 12000 ft for 14000 ft we hit moderate turbulence and received a cas 'left emergency door.' I had read the MEL and nowhere in this MEL did it say that the cas message 'left emergency door' might illuminate and it should be disregarded. I did the prudent thing and I asked for 10000 ft and called for the QRH emergency door. I notified the flight attendant to move all passenger away from this door and asked if there was any sign that the door might be unstable. I then went through the QRH and found that the cabin pressure was not climbing and we leveled at 10000 ft. I contacted maintenance and asked about this cas and they said that it was normal to get a cas like this according to their manual. I said that we had no such written statement that this was 'ok.' he said that the manuals were being updated. Immediate descent to 10000 ft; request current heading to prepare to return to field. Flight attendant moved passenger and examined door. QRH and then a call to maintenance -- in that order -- because the safety of my crew and passenger comes before a call to maintenance to hear them say that it is ok. A heads up that this message might pop up would probably have changed the order of events. I have had a door open in-flight. If this door had come open and I was still climbing and not moving passenger and on the radio with maintenance when it happened; that would be irresponsible! This was a non-event but it shows how a lack of communication between maintenance and the pilot group creates a sense of complacency. The idea that an indication of a critical item such as a door could be regarded as a system that could be disregarded is unfortunate. There should have been a statement to the crew that says 'there may be intermittent cas messages associated with this MEL and as long as normal cabin pressure is being maintained then there is no need for concern.' we had this message come on 6 times and we just left the QRH out to comply with the SOP. Our thrust reverser MEL advises the crew that there may be cas messages associated with this MEL. We brief this and avoid the additional duties of QRH procedures in time-critical phases of flight. Communication with the crew of what to expect with the MEL in question would be a nice place to start. What if this had been a fire loop? What if this had been a gear unsafe? MEL's do not provide me the luxury of ignoring my procedures just to get a flight out on time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 DEPARTED WITH THE OVER WING EMER EXIT INDICATOR SYS MEL'ED. ABOVE 12000 FT THE CAS L EMER DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FLT; BEFORE MAINT COORD; CONSIDERED A RETURN TO LAND BECAUSE OF THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE DOOR'S CONDITION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP WE READ THE MEL 52-XX-X FOR THE 'OVER WING EMER EXIT INDICATOR SYS.' I PERFORMED THE INSPECTION OF THE L-HAND OVER WING EXIT AND IT APPEARED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MEL. WE DEPARTED AND ENCOUNTERED MULTIPLE CUMULUS BUILDUPS AND WE WERE DEVIATING FOR THESE WHEN OUT OF 12000 FT FOR 14000 FT WE HIT MODERATE TURB AND RECEIVED A CAS 'L EMER DOOR.' I HAD READ THE MEL AND NOWHERE IN THIS MEL DID IT SAY THAT THE CAS MESSAGE 'L EMER DOOR' MIGHT ILLUMINATE AND IT SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. I DID THE PRUDENT THING AND I ASKED FOR 10000 FT AND CALLED FOR THE QRH EMER DOOR. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO MOVE ALL PAX AWAY FROM THIS DOOR AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY SIGN THAT THE DOOR MIGHT BE UNSTABLE. I THEN WENT THROUGH THE QRH AND FOUND THAT THE CABIN PRESSURE WAS NOT CLBING AND WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT. I CONTACTED MAINT AND ASKED ABOUT THIS CAS AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO GET A CAS LIKE THIS ACCORDING TO THEIR MANUAL. I SAID THAT WE HAD NO SUCH WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT THIS WAS 'OK.' HE SAID THAT THE MANUALS WERE BEING UPDATED. IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 10000 FT; REQUEST CURRENT HDG TO PREPARE TO RETURN TO FIELD. FLT ATTENDANT MOVED PAX AND EXAMINED DOOR. QRH AND THEN A CALL TO MAINT -- IN THAT ORDER -- BECAUSE THE SAFETY OF MY CREW AND PAX COMES BEFORE A CALL TO MAINT TO HEAR THEM SAY THAT IT IS OK. A HEADS UP THAT THIS MESSAGE MIGHT POP UP WOULD PROBABLY HAVE CHANGED THE ORDER OF EVENTS. I HAVE HAD A DOOR OPEN INFLT. IF THIS DOOR HAD COME OPEN AND I WAS STILL CLBING AND NOT MOVING PAX AND ON THE RADIO WITH MAINT WHEN IT HAPPENED; THAT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE! THIS WAS A NON-EVENT BUT IT SHOWS HOW A LACK OF COM BTWN MAINT AND THE PLT GROUP CREATES A SENSE OF COMPLACENCY. THE IDEA THAT AN INDICATION OF A CRITICAL ITEM SUCH AS A DOOR COULD BE REGARDED AS A SYS THAT COULD BE DISREGARDED IS UNFORTUNATE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STATEMENT TO THE CREW THAT SAYS 'THERE MAY BE INTERMITTENT CAS MESSAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MEL AND AS LONG AS NORMAL CABIN PRESSURE IS BEING MAINTAINED THEN THERE IS NO NEED FOR CONCERN.' WE HAD THIS MESSAGE COME ON 6 TIMES AND WE JUST LEFT THE QRH OUT TO COMPLY WITH THE SOP. OUR THRUST REVERSER MEL ADVISES THE CREW THAT THERE MAY BE CAS MESSAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MEL. WE BRIEF THIS AND AVOID THE ADDITIONAL DUTIES OF QRH PROCS IN TIME-CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT. COM WITH THE CREW OF WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE MEL IN QUESTION WOULD BE A NICE PLACE TO START. WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A FIRE LOOP? WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A GEAR UNSAFE? MEL'S DO NOT PROVIDE ME THE LUXURY OF IGNORING MY PROCS JUST TO GET A FLT OUT ON TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.