Narrative:

Prior to passenger heading left aft galley service door was found hard to close by cabin service and F/a first officer offered assistance and on second attempt secured the door. Cabin door was flush on all sides. Handle was over center and annunciator light on second officer's panel agreed that the door was indeed closed. Engine start and taxi were normal. Holding short and #1 for takeoff on runway 18, F/a called and stated the door was noisy. The first officer reconfirmed that he had securely closed the door and the annunciator light was again checked testing the left to confirm door closure. A discussion concluded that the door seal was slow to mate and that under pressure flight the door would soon seal. At this time the flight was cleared for immediate takeoff as landing traffic was busy clearing active runway and landing traffic was on short final. Shortly following takeoff roll, F/a again called concerned with the noise at the door. Due to short final traffic and the next available turn off well beyond our position takeoff was continued. Takeoff, climb out and pressurization were normal. F/east was soon sent back to assess condition of seal. Door was securely latched, however bottom seal failed to mate. Wet towels were utilized to greatly reduce air noise. Once the condition of the door was reported with pressurization normal flight continued to destination. Acting conservatively and in the best interest of safety, flight was flown at 16000' with reduced airspace for passenger comfort. Passenger were later briefed and assured that the galley door was securely closed. The seat belt light remained illuminated. ATC was advised. Company was advised. The flight landed a few mins over schedule uneventfully. Door problem mechanics later determined was due to failure of bottom rollers to mate even though door handle was locked, over center and annunciator lights were extinguished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT MADE A TKOF WITH THE REAR GALLEY ACCESS DOOR SEAL NOT IN PLACE. FLT CONTINUED AT LOW ALT TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: PRIOR TO PAX HDG LEFT AFT GALLEY SVC DOOR WAS FOUND HARD TO CLOSE BY CABIN SVC AND F/A F/O OFFERED ASSISTANCE AND ON SECOND ATTEMPT SECURED THE DOOR. CABIN DOOR WAS FLUSH ON ALL SIDES. HANDLE WAS OVER CENTER AND ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ON S/O'S PANEL AGREED THAT THE DOOR WAS INDEED CLOSED. ENG START AND TAXI WERE NORMAL. HOLDING SHORT AND #1 FOR TKOF ON RWY 18, F/A CALLED AND STATED THE DOOR WAS NOISY. THE F/O RECONFIRMED THAT HE HAD SECURELY CLOSED THE DOOR AND THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT WAS AGAIN CHKED TESTING THE LEFT TO CONFIRM DOOR CLOSURE. A DISCUSSION CONCLUDED THAT THE DOOR SEAL WAS SLOW TO MATE AND THAT UNDER PRESSURE FLT THE DOOR WOULD SOON SEAL. AT THIS TIME THE FLT WAS CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF AS LNDG TFC WAS BUSY CLRING ACTIVE RWY AND LNDG TFC WAS ON SHORT FINAL. SHORTLY FOLLOWING TKOF ROLL, F/A AGAIN CALLED CONCERNED WITH THE NOISE AT THE DOOR. DUE TO SHORT FINAL TFC AND THE NEXT AVAILABLE TURN OFF WELL BEYOND OUR POS TKOF WAS CONTINUED. TKOF, CLBOUT AND PRESSURIZATION WERE NORMAL. F/E WAS SOON SENT BACK TO ASSESS CONDITION OF SEAL. DOOR WAS SECURELY LATCHED, HOWEVER BOTTOM SEAL FAILED TO MATE. WET TOWELS WERE UTILIZED TO GREATLY REDUCE AIR NOISE. ONCE THE CONDITION OF THE DOOR WAS RPTED WITH PRESSURIZATION NORMAL FLT CONTINUED TO DEST. ACTING CONSERVATIVELY AND IN THE BEST INTEREST OF SAFETY, FLT WAS FLOWN AT 16000' WITH REDUCED AIRSPACE FOR PAX COMFORT. PAX WERE LATER BRIEFED AND ASSURED THAT THE GALLEY DOOR WAS SECURELY CLOSED. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. ATC WAS ADVISED. COMPANY WAS ADVISED. THE FLT LANDED A FEW MINS OVER SCHEDULE UNEVENTFULLY. DOOR PROB MECHS LATER DETERMINED WAS DUE TO FAILURE OF BOTTOM ROLLERS TO MATE EVEN THOUGH DOOR HANDLE WAS LOCKED, OVER CENTER AND ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS WERE EXTINGUISHED.

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.