Main cabin door not properly closed unable to pressurize. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	98006
Time
Date	198811
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	98006
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During taxi out at dtw for flight to roc, lead F/a called cockpit and reported air leak around main fwd cabin door. I parked along side runway 21R and went back to check door myself. Second officer had pressurized aircraft and no light was on second officer annunciator panel, indicating door was properly closed. Upon inspection door seemed normal and handle was seated. Normal takeoff was made (later lead F/a reported that noise subsided during takeoff roll and door seemed normal). Immediately after takeoff second officer was unable to pressurize aircraft in climb and lead first officer called reporting very loud air noise around main cabin door. Noise was very noticeable on interphone. Due to inability to pressurize and also due to loud air noise in cabin, it was decided to immediately return to dtw to have door checked. A normal landing was made. About 10 mins of air time had elapsed. Upon arrival at gate, mechanic noticed door (fwd main cabin) was partially open (still no light on second officer panel). After working with door for about 15 mins mechanic successfully closed door and flight departed with no further problems. Main cabin door apparently had not initially been properly closed. Although door is a plug type door and cannot open fully in flight, the lack of pressurization caused us to return to base. Strongly recommend that ground personnel responsible for closing cabin doors be fully trained to do so. Many ground personnel lack sufficient strength to accomplish this properly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAIN CABIN DOOR NOT PROPERLY CLOSED UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: DURING TAXI OUT AT DTW FOR FLT TO ROC, LEAD F/A CALLED COCKPIT AND RPTED AIR LEAK AROUND MAIN FWD CABIN DOOR. I PARKED ALONG SIDE RWY 21R AND WENT BACK TO CHK DOOR MYSELF. S/O HAD PRESSURIZED ACFT AND NO LIGHT WAS ON S/O ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, INDICATING DOOR WAS PROPERLY CLOSED. UPON INSPECTION DOOR SEEMED NORMAL AND HANDLE WAS SEATED. NORMAL TKOF WAS MADE (LATER LEAD F/A RPTED THAT NOISE SUBSIDED DURING TKOF ROLL AND DOOR SEEMED NORMAL). IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF S/O WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE ACFT IN CLB AND LEAD F/O CALLED RPTING VERY LOUD AIR NOISE AROUND MAIN CABIN DOOR. NOISE WAS VERY NOTICEABLE ON INTERPHONE. DUE TO INABILITY TO PRESSURIZE AND ALSO DUE TO LOUD AIR NOISE IN CABIN, IT WAS DECIDED TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO DTW TO HAVE DOOR CHKED. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. ABOUT 10 MINS OF AIR TIME HAD ELAPSED. UPON ARR AT GATE, MECH NOTICED DOOR (FWD MAIN CABIN) WAS PARTIALLY OPEN (STILL NO LIGHT ON S/O PANEL). AFTER WORKING WITH DOOR FOR ABOUT 15 MINS MECH SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED DOOR AND FLT DEPARTED WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. MAIN CABIN DOOR APPARENTLY HAD NOT INITIALLY BEEN PROPERLY CLOSED. ALTHOUGH DOOR IS A PLUG TYPE DOOR AND CANNOT OPEN FULLY IN FLT, THE LACK OF PRESSURIZATION CAUSED US TO RETURN TO BASE. STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT GND PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR CLOSING CABIN DOORS BE FULLY TRAINED TO DO SO. MANY GND PERSONNEL LACK SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO ACCOMPLISH THIS PROPERLY.

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.