Narrative:

The aircraft was ready for pushback and the ground crew called on the interphone saying that they were ready. I announced to ground crew 'brakes off, door lights out, cleared to push.' just after the pushback began, the tug operator brought the aircraft to an abrupt stop and said there was an agent in the rear cargo bin. I looked up and saw the aft cargo light illuminated on the overhead panel. I asked the first officer if he had seen the aft cargo light illuminated prior to pushback and he said he hat not. My initial thought was that the agent must have run up to throw a last min bag into the cargo bin and that he had opened the door after I had called door lights out. I later received a complaint from the ground supervisor that the agent was in the cargo bin rearranging bags when the pushback began. If this is the fact, then apparently the first officer and myself both failed to see the aft cargo light on the overhead panel illuminated prior to pushback. Both pilots should check items on the checklist and confirm that the proper response and action has been taken. Could I have said 'door lights out,' when one was illuminated? Apparently I did!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO DOOR LIGHT NOT OBSERVED BY FLC BEFORE PUSHBACK.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS READY FOR PUSHBACK AND THE GND CREW CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE SAYING THAT THEY WERE READY. I ANNOUNCED TO GND CREW 'BRAKES OFF, DOOR LIGHTS OUT, CLRED TO PUSH.' JUST AFTER THE PUSHBACK BEGAN, THE TUG OPERATOR BROUGHT THE ACFT TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND SAID THERE WAS AN AGENT IN THE REAR CARGO BIN. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE AFT CARGO LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL. I ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD SEEN THE AFT CARGO LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AND HE SAID HE HAT NOT. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS THAT THE AGENT MUST HAVE RUN UP TO THROW A LAST MIN BAG INTO THE CARGO BIN AND THAT HE HAD OPENED THE DOOR AFTER I HAD CALLED DOOR LIGHTS OUT. I LATER RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM THE GND SUPVR THAT THE AGENT WAS IN THE CARGO BIN REARRANGING BAGS WHEN THE PUSHBACK BEGAN. IF THIS IS THE FACT, THEN APPARENTLY THE FO AND MYSELF BOTH FAILED TO SEE THE AFT CARGO LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. BOTH PLTS SHOULD CHK ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST AND CONFIRM THAT THE PROPER RESPONSE AND ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. COULD I HAVE SAID 'DOOR LIGHTS OUT,' WHEN ONE WAS ILLUMINATED? APPARENTLY I DID!

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.