A large transport aircraft was unable to pressurize the cabin after takeoff and initial climb. Aircraft returned to the field. Found main entrance door closed but not latched.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	357858
Time
Date	199701
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	357858
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air turn-back for landing occurred due to the aircraft not pressurizing. This resulted in an unscheduled landing. Problem arose from a newly hired and inexperienced crew member not properly closing entry door (main door). An air leak caused the aircraft not to pressurize. Contributing factor may have been the flight engineer not checking that the cabin was pressurizing prior to departure. Whenever a switch is moved or a button is pushed or selector is moved and there is an associated light-or-gauge, it should be checked to assure that that system is performing the selected function. This would have led us to recognition of the problem prior to takeoff. After landing back at departure airport we solved the problem by properly relatching door, advising maintenance and operations via commercial radio, and received a new release and directive from maintenance to continue to our original destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LGT ACFT WAS UNABLE TO PRESSURIZE THE CABIN AFTER TKOF AND INITIAL CLB. ACFT RETURNED TO THE FIELD. FOUND MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR CLOSED BUT NOT LATCHED.

Narrative: AIR TURN-BACK FOR LNDG OCCURRED DUE TO THE ACFT NOT PRESSURIZING. THIS RESULTED IN AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG. PROB AROSE FROM A NEWLY HIRED AND INEXPERIENCED CREW MEMBER NOT PROPERLY CLOSING ENTRY DOOR (MAIN DOOR). AN AIR LEAK CAUSED THE ACFT NOT TO PRESSURIZE. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE FE NOT CHKING THAT THE CABIN WAS PRESSURIZING PRIOR TO DEP. WHENEVER A SWITCH IS MOVED OR A BUTTON IS PUSHED OR SELECTOR IS MOVED AND THERE IS AN ASSOCIATED LIGHT-OR-GAUGE, IT SHOULD BE CHKED TO ASSURE THAT THAT SYS IS PERFORMING THE SELECTED FUNCTION. THIS WOULD HAVE LED US TO RECOGNITION OF THE PROB PRIOR TO TKOF. AFTER LNDG BACK AT DEP ARPT WE SOLVED THE PROB BY PROPERLY RELATCHING DOOR, ADVISING MAINT AND OPS VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO, AND RECEIVED A NEW RELEASE AND DIRECTIVE FROM MAINT TO CONTINUE TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST.

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.