Flight crew of medium large transport missed cargo door light on pre taxi checklist.

Attributes
ACN	197052
Time
Date	199112
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gsp
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cys
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	197052
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Preflight and engine starts normal. Accomplished all checklists. Cleared for engine start by ground crew. Started left engine only to save fuel. Performed after start checklist. Taxied to runway 21. Several mins later started right engine, performing delayed engine start and after start checklists. Then accomplished before takeoff checklist, during which we were cleared for takeoff. While taxiing onto the runway, we were just completing before takeoff checklist, second to last item being 'annunciator panel' glancing up, I was startled to see a 'forward cargo door' light illuminated. Taxied off runway, called company on radio, requested they send someone out to look at the airplane. After several mins a truck pulled up. They found the forward cargo door ajar. Closed door, light went out, flight continued normally. I observe the following: the tendency to repeat checklist responses by rote without thoroughly checking each item. Setting sun at our back on taxi out blanketed the annunciator panel with light, making it difficult to see individual lights on the panel. Doublechking and closely following checklists did, in the end, save the day. In the future, I'll vow to be 100 percent sure all door lights are out before moving the aircraft from the gate. And doublechk it!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG MISSED CARGO DOOR LIGHT ON PRE TAXI CHKLIST.

Narrative: PREFLT AND ENG STARTS NORMAL. ACCOMPLISHED ALL CHKLISTS. CLRED FOR ENG START BY GND CREW. STARTED L ENG ONLY TO SAVE FUEL. PERFORMED AFTER START CHKLIST. TAXIED TO RWY 21. SEVERAL MINS LATER STARTED R ENG, PERFORMING DELAYED ENG START AND AFTER START CHKLISTS. THEN ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, DURING WHICH WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WHILE TAXIING ONTO THE RWY, WE WERE JUST COMPLETING BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, SECOND TO LAST ITEM BEING 'ANNUNCIATOR PANEL' GLANCING UP, I WAS STARTLED TO SEE A 'FORWARD CARGO DOOR' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TAXIED OFF RWY, CALLED COMPANY ON RADIO, REQUESTED THEY SEND SOMEONE OUT TO LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE. AFTER SEVERAL MINS A TRUCK PULLED UP. THEY FOUND THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR AJAR. CLOSED DOOR, LIGHT WENT OUT, FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY. I OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING: THE TENDENCY TO REPEAT CHKLIST RESPONSES BY ROTE WITHOUT THOROUGHLY CHKING EACH ITEM. SETTING SUN AT OUR BACK ON TAXI OUT BLANKETED THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WITH LIGHT, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS ON THE PANEL. DOUBLECHKING AND CLOSELY FOLLOWING CHKLISTS DID, IN THE END, SAVE THE DAY. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL VOW TO BE 100 PERCENT SURE ALL DOOR LIGHTS ARE OUT BEFORE MOVING THE ACFT FROM THE GATE. AND DOUBLECHK IT!

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.