Takeoff with aft entry door open. Aircraft would not pressurize. Miscom flight crew maintenance.

Attributes
ACN	318780
Time
Date	199510
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	318780
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On before start checklist, noticed aft entry door light on. Over interphone, asked maintenance to check door. They checked door twice by lowering aft airstairs and I thought going up to aft entry door. I asked them to confirm door locked as light was still on. After confirmation we departed. When unable to pressurize aircraft, we returned to iad and aft entry door was ajar. Maintenance initially said door was hard to close. Several days later they said that they had checked aft airstairs versus after entry door. Perhaps they misunderstood which door I meant, but it was clear to all 3 crew members. Should have had maintenance put stairs back to aircraft and come up to check light.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF WITH AFT ENTRY DOOR OPEN. ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE. MISCOM FLC MAINT.

Narrative: ON BEFORE START CHKLIST, NOTICED AFT ENTRY DOOR LIGHT ON. OVER INTERPHONE, ASKED MAINT TO CHK DOOR. THEY CHKED DOOR TWICE BY LOWERING AFT AIRSTAIRS AND I THOUGHT GOING UP TO AFT ENTRY DOOR. I ASKED THEM TO CONFIRM DOOR LOCKED AS LIGHT WAS STILL ON. AFTER CONFIRMATION WE DEPARTED. WHEN UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE ACFT, WE RETURNED TO IAD AND AFT ENTRY DOOR WAS AJAR. MAINT INITIALLY SAID DOOR WAS HARD TO CLOSE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD CHKED AFT AIRSTAIRS VERSUS AFTER ENTRY DOOR. PERHAPS THEY MISUNDERSTOOD WHICH DOOR I MEANT, BUT IT WAS CLR TO ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS. SHOULD HAVE HAD MAINT PUT STAIRS BACK TO ACFT AND COME UP TO CHK LIGHT.

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.