Widebody transport takeoff with the sextant port open. Divert land overweight ord due to extreme noi...

Attributes
ACN	89773
Time
Date	198806
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc tower : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 92 flight time total : 13319 flight time type : 358
ASRS Report	89773
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	89767
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed stl with a loud noise in cockpit after takeoff. We climbed to 10000' MSL. The noise level was very loud. It was thought to be the hatch handle on the outside to be making the noise. As copilot, I handled the communications and checklist for the captain. We asked for vectors to chicago and proceeded to land 14R with 13000' for landing. A smooth overweight landing was made and the problem was found to be an open sextant hole. We refueled and proceeded to london, england's gatwick airport uneventfully. It will never be known who opened the sextant vent. Supplemental information from acn 89767: words cannot describe how loud the noise in cockpit was nor how distracting. Extremely difficult to coordinate with captain and first officer. Sextant port was closed on preflight at stl, however, there was a time lapse of 2 1/2 hours due to delays, etc, before takeoff out of stl where maintenance personnel and passenger were in and out of cockpit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB TKOF WITH THE SEXTANT PORT OPEN. DIVERT LAND OVERWEIGHT ORD DUE TO EXTREME NOISE.

Narrative: DEPARTED STL WITH A LOUD NOISE IN COCKPIT AFTER TKOF. WE CLBED TO 10000' MSL. THE NOISE LEVEL WAS VERY LOUD. IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE HATCH HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE TO BE MAKING THE NOISE. AS COPLT, I HANDLED THE COMS AND CHKLIST FOR THE CAPT. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO CHICAGO AND PROCEEDED TO LAND 14R WITH 13000' FOR LNDG. A SMOOTH OVERWEIGHT LNDG WAS MADE AND THE PROB WAS FOUND TO BE AN OPEN SEXTANT HOLE. WE REFUELED AND PROCEEDED TO LONDON, ENGLAND'S GATWICK ARPT UNEVENTFULLY. IT WILL NEVER BE KNOWN WHO OPENED THE SEXTANT VENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 89767: WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE HOW LOUD THE NOISE IN COCKPIT WAS NOR HOW DISTRACTING. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO COORDINATE WITH CAPT AND F/O. SEXTANT PORT WAS CLOSED ON PREFLT AT STL, HOWEVER, THERE WAS A TIME LAPSE OF 2 1/2 HRS DUE TO DELAYS, ETC, BEFORE TKOF OUT OF STL WHERE MAINT PERSONNEL AND PAX WERE IN AND OUT OF COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Widebody transport takeoff with the sextant port open. Divert land overweight ord due to extreme noise.