Narrative:

About 1000' or so I looked back the feo panel, and saw a forward cargo door amber warning light lit, observed the cabin altitude climbing, and aircraft was not pressurizing. Notified the captain, and the first officer of the forward cargo door light, and turned off the #1 pack. We continued the climb to 7000', and leveled out anticipating fuel dumping. The captain notified ATC and we operated per alternative procedures. We called maintenance on the radio and after consultation with them, they requested we try to pressurize the aircraft. I told them no! Procedure indicates not to pressurize the aircraft. They insisted we try to pressurize, and after discussing it, we were unable to pressurize the aircraft. We dumped fuel down to the aom maximum landing gross weight for the aircraft, and landed at jfk. On arrival, found the forward cargo door latch open, and the negative pressure relief doors open on the forward cargo door. Rest of the door was secure. After arrival, began preparations for another departure. I wrote a crew report, and we topped off fuel. After preparations complete, and brakes cooled, we did a routing departure. Everything was normal the rest of the trip. It would seem to me that the forward cargo door latch needs another look see by the engineering department. It appears appropriate a redesign to be more secure, and more positive of an indication of a positive lock would be in order.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF FLT CREW WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE ACFT BECAUSE OF FORWARD CARGO DOOR (WARNING LIGHT INDICATING NOT CLOSED AND LOCKED). DUMPED FUEL TO MAX GROSS LNDG WEIGHT. RETURNED TO LAND JFK.

Narrative: ABOUT 1000' OR SO I LOOKED BACK THE FEO PANEL, AND SAW A FORWARD CARGO DOOR AMBER WARNING LIGHT LIT, OBSERVED THE CABIN ALT CLBING, AND ACFT WAS NOT PRESSURIZING. NOTIFIED THE CAPT, AND THE F/O OF THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LIGHT, AND TURNED OFF THE #1 PACK. WE CONTINUED THE CLB TO 7000', AND LEVELED OUT ANTICIPATING FUEL DUMPING. THE CAPT NOTIFIED ATC AND WE OPERATED PER ALTERNATIVE PROCS. WE CALLED MAINT ON THE RADIO AND AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THEM, THEY REQUESTED WE TRY TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT. I TOLD THEM NO! PROC INDICATES NOT TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT. THEY INSISTED WE TRY TO PRESSURIZE, AND AFTER DISCUSSING IT, WE WERE UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE THE ACFT. WE DUMPED FUEL DOWN TO THE AOM MAX LNDG GROSS WT FOR THE ACFT, AND LANDED AT JFK. ON ARR, FOUND THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LATCH OPEN, AND THE NEGATIVE PRESSURE RELIEF DOORS OPEN ON THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. REST OF THE DOOR WAS SECURE. AFTER ARR, BEGAN PREPARATIONS FOR ANOTHER DEP. I WROTE A CREW RPT, AND WE TOPPED OFF FUEL. AFTER PREPARATIONS COMPLETE, AND BRAKES COOLED, WE DID A ROUTING DEP. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL THE REST OF THE TRIP. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR LATCH NEEDS ANOTHER LOOK SEE BY THE ENGINEERING DEPT. IT APPEARS APPROPRIATE A REDESIGN TO BE MORE SECURE, AND MORE POSITIVE OF AN INDICATION OF A POSITIVE LOCK WOULD BE IN ORDER.

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