An A320 departing a high altitude airport displayed an avionics door open ECAM message. Although pre...

Narrative:

Just after takeoff and passing through 9;500 MSL we received the ECAM 'door - avionics' with associated ECAM sd showing the right-side fuselage avionics door open. ECAM procedure was accomplished which only consisted of a restriction against flying above 10;000 MSL. FM procedure expanded this and advised that the avionics door is a plug type door and that; if pressurization was normal; there was no further action required. The differential pressure was approximately 2.0 psi with cabin pressure indications all normal.however; we had just departed westbound and would be over high terrain (above 14;000 MSL) within minutes without a deviation. We were still at/below 10;000 and would be able to make a normal approach/landing back in the airport without ever exceeding 10;000 MSL. For these reasons I decided that the safest; obvious decision was to remain at low altitude and stay in the traffic pattern for a return to the airport; accomplishing this in VMC conditions with minimal delay.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A320 departing a high altitude airport displayed an Avionics Door Open ECAM message. Although pressurization appeared normal the flight crew opted to return rather than fly over higher elevations with the potential for greater problems should the event prove less than benign.

Narrative: Just after takeoff and passing through 9;500 MSL we received the ECAM 'Door - Avionics' with associated ECAM SD showing the right-side fuselage Avionics door open. ECAM procedure was accomplished which only consisted of a restriction against flying above 10;000 MSL. FM Procedure expanded this and advised that the Avionics door is a plug type door and that; if pressurization was normal; there was no further action required. The differential pressure was approximately 2.0 PSI with cabin pressure indications all normal.However; we had just departed westbound and would be over high terrain (above 14;000 MSL) within minutes without a deviation. We were still at/below 10;000 and would be able to make a normal approach/landing back in the airport without ever exceeding 10;000 MSL. For these reasons I decided that the safest; obvious decision was to remain at low altitude and stay in the traffic pattern for a return to the airport; accomplishing this in VMC conditions with minimal delay.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	961129
Time
Date	201107
Local Time Of Day	0001-0600
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Service/Access Door
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150 Flight Crew Total 20000 Flight Crew Type 3000
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

An A320 departing a high altitude airport displayed an avionics door open ECAM message. Although pressurization appeared normal the flight crew opted to return rather than fly over higher elevations with the potential for greater problems should the event prove less than benign.