Narrative:

Maintenance had worked on the aircraft during the night. Prior to departure from the gate (ie, pushback) I noticed the access compartment door message on the cockpit setup. The mechanic had already left, I called flight control dispatcher and the maintenance coordinator to attempt to correct the problem. We were unable to extinguish the message, but complied with the MEL. I opened the nosewheel doors after consulting with the maintenance coordinator and asked him if it would be ok to leave the nose gear doors open. He agreed, because the doors should cycle with gear retraction. On takeoff at gear retraction we experienced a loud vibration with the gear up. We put the gear down and the vibration stopped. We could have returned to dab but I coordinated with flight control to divert to mco since mco is a maintenance station and was only 45 NM away, flying time 20 mins and dab is not a maintenance station. Upon arrival at mco a nose gear door was found open. It did not properly cycle with the landing gear retraction. At no time was the safety of the flight in jeopardy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88. CREW NOTED AN 'ACCESS COMPARTMENT DOOR' MESSAGE WARNING LIGHT ON COCKPIT SETUP. AFTER TKOF A NOSE GEAR DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE.

Narrative: MAINT HAD WORKED ON THE ACFT DURING THE NIGHT. PRIOR TO DEP FROM THE GATE (IE, PUSHBACK) I NOTICED THE ACCESS COMPARTMENT DOOR MESSAGE ON THE COCKPIT SETUP. THE MECH HAD ALREADY LEFT, I CALLED FLT CTL DISPATCHER AND THE MAINT COORDINATOR TO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROB. WE WERE UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE MESSAGE, BUT COMPLIED WITH THE MEL. I OPENED THE NOSEWHEEL DOORS AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE MAINT COORDINATOR AND ASKED HIM IF IT WOULD BE OK TO LEAVE THE NOSE GEAR DOORS OPEN. HE AGREED, BECAUSE THE DOORS SHOULD CYCLE WITH GEAR RETRACTION. ON TKOF AT GEAR RETRACTION WE EXPERIENCED A LOUD VIBRATION WITH THE GEAR UP. WE PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND THE VIBRATION STOPPED. WE COULD HAVE RETURNED TO DAB BUT I COORDINATED WITH FLT CTL TO DIVERT TO MCO SINCE MCO IS A MAINT STATION AND WAS ONLY 45 NM AWAY, FLYING TIME 20 MINS AND DAB IS NOT A MAINT STATION. UPON ARR AT MCO A NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS FOUND OPEN. IT DID NOT PROPERLY CYCLE WITH THE LNDG GEAR RETRACTION. AT NO TIME WAS THE SAFETY OF THE FLT IN JEOPARDY.

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.