Narrative:

Prior to the gate agent closing the door for pushback, someone mentioned that the flight had been canceled due to a broken cargo door handle. Both the captain and myself verified that all doors were indication closed via the overhead annunciator panel. Following our check of the overhead annunciator panel, the gate agent boarded the aircraft and said everything was ok for departure. When asked about the cargo handle, the agent said, 'you're fine, that was another aircraft.' following the confirmation that it was not our flight we departed rdu for atl and had an uneventful flight. Upon our arrival at atl we were met at the gate by maintenance personnel who proceeded to repair a broken cargo handle on our aircraft. The captain and myself were taken back by the deception that appears to have occurred. We checked the MEL to see if it was a placarded item and it was not even in the book. The captain is following up with the chief pilot to see who knew what about this maintenance item prior to dispatch of the aircraft. Even though the flight went fine, that may not have been the case if there was a fire or a problem in that cargo bin and we could not open it due to a broken handle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD88 OPERATED ACFT WITH A BROKEN CARGO DOOR HANDLE. THE FLC WAS MISLED THINKING THAT THE PROB WAS ON ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT. SINCE THE CARGO DOOR OPEN LIGHTS WERE NOT ON, THE CREW BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS NO PROB. THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED UPON LNDG UNTIL MAINT FIXED THE HANDLE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE GATE AGENT CLOSING THE DOOR FOR PUSHBACK, SOMEONE MENTIONED THAT THE FLT HAD BEEN CANCELED DUE TO A BROKEN CARGO DOOR HANDLE. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF VERIFIED THAT ALL DOORS WERE INDICATION CLOSED VIA THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. FOLLOWING OUR CHK OF THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, THE GATE AGENT BOARDED THE ACFT AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK FOR DEP. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE CARGO HANDLE, THE AGENT SAID, 'YOU'RE FINE, THAT WAS ANOTHER ACFT.' FOLLOWING THE CONFIRMATION THAT IT WAS NOT OUR FLT WE DEPARTED RDU FOR ATL AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT. UPON OUR ARR AT ATL WE WERE MET AT THE GATE BY MAINT PERSONNEL WHO PROCEEDED TO REPAIR A BROKEN CARGO HANDLE ON OUR ACFT. THE CAPT AND MYSELF WERE TAKEN BACK BY THE DECEPTION THAT APPEARS TO HAVE OCCURRED. WE CHKED THE MEL TO SEE IF IT WAS A PLACARDED ITEM AND IT WAS NOT EVEN IN THE BOOK. THE CAPT IS FOLLOWING UP WITH THE CHIEF PLT TO SEE WHO KNEW WHAT ABOUT THIS MAINT ITEM PRIOR TO DISPATCH OF THE ACFT. EVEN THOUGH THE FLT WENT FINE, THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE IF THERE WAS A FIRE OR A PROB IN THAT CARGO BIN AND WE COULD NOT OPEN IT DUE TO A BROKEN HANDLE.

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.