Narrative:

After takeoff from fll, a loud noise was heard from the forward entry door. There was no door light on the so's annunciator panel, but the aircraft was not pressurizing normally. The so went back to visually check the door. The door handle was stowed and the door appeared normal. We advised fll departure control that we needed to return to fll. The maximum altitude reached on climb out was 4300 ft. Vectors were received for a downwind to runway 9L. ATC was advised that we were not declaring an emergency and no assistance was required. After a normal landing, maintenance determined that a tab on the door seal prevented the door from being closed completely and after corrective action to the door, refueling the aircraft, and redispatch from flight control, we continued the flight to atl. End of problem, end of discussion, except that this flight was a charter for a professional sports team. As is customary on these charters, in those matters not related to the operation of the airplane, certain rules are less strictly adhered to than on a normal revenue passenger flight. For example, tray tables and drinks are out, passenger are sitting on armrests during taxi, and access to the cockpit by members of the charter group are permitted. It was my understanding that in each of these areas, what is allowed or disallowed is at the discretion of the captain. There is pressure from a customer relations/economic standpoint not to follow the letter of the law. Any overrelaxation of any policy was inadvertent on my part. Although I operate the aircraft the same, be it ferrying an empty airplane or a charter for high profile passenger, I realize that my comfort level is better confined to normal part 121 air carrier flying. Supplemental information from acn 415405: we returned to the gate where we were met by maintenance. They found a tab on the forward entry door that was bent. To prevent this from occurring again, we should ensure gate agent looks at the door once the gate is moved back from the aircraft. This bent tab was easily visible from outside the aircraft, but door appeared normal from inside, including door light extinguished. Supplemental information from acn 415216: this flight was a charter for a professional athletic team. It was conducted in a manner with less adherence to the strict rules that are normally followed in normal part 121 operations. As it is understood to be 'air carrier policy' on such charters, a more festive and entertaining atmosphere was enjoyed by the passenger, and was allowed by the crew. Safety was never jeopardized during this event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW WAS FORCED TO DIVERT TO THEIR DEP STATION WHEN A DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED PROPERLY. CREW ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ANYTHING GOES ATTITUDE IN THE CABIN ON A CHARTER FLT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM FLL, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. THERE WAS NO DOOR LIGHT ON THE SO'S ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT PRESSURIZING NORMALLY. THE SO WENT BACK TO VISUALLY CHK THE DOOR. THE DOOR HANDLE WAS STOWED AND THE DOOR APPEARED NORMAL. WE ADVISED FLL DEP CTL THAT WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO FLL. THE MAX ALT REACHED ON CLBOUT WAS 4300 FT. VECTORS WERE RECEIVED FOR A DOWNWIND TO RWY 9L. ATC WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMER AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG, MAINT DETERMINED THAT A TAB ON THE DOOR SEAL PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM BEING CLOSED COMPLETELY AND AFTER CORRECTIVE ACTION TO THE DOOR, REFUELING THE ACFT, AND REDISPATCH FROM FLT CTL, WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO ATL. END OF PROB, END OF DISCUSSION, EXCEPT THAT THIS FLT WAS A CHARTER FOR A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM. AS IS CUSTOMARY ON THESE CHARTERS, IN THOSE MATTERS NOT RELATED TO THE OP OF THE AIRPLANE, CERTAIN RULES ARE LESS STRICTLY ADHERED TO THAN ON A NORMAL REVENUE PAX FLT. FOR EXAMPLE, TRAY TABLES AND DRINKS ARE OUT, PAX ARE SITTING ON ARMRESTS DURING TAXI, AND ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT BY MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER GROUP ARE PERMITTED. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, WHAT IS ALLOWED OR DISALLOWED IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CAPT. THERE IS PRESSURE FROM A CUSTOMER RELATIONS/ECONOMIC STANDPOINT NOT TO FOLLOW THE LETTER OF THE LAW. ANY OVERRELAXATION OF ANY POLICY WAS INADVERTENT ON MY PART. ALTHOUGH I OPERATE THE ACFT THE SAME, BE IT FERRYING AN EMPTY AIRPLANE OR A CHARTER FOR HIGH PROFILE PAX, I REALIZE THAT MY COMFORT LEVEL IS BETTER CONFINED TO NORMAL PART 121 ACR FLYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 415405: WE RETURNED TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY MAINT. THEY FOUND A TAB ON THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR THAT WAS BENT. TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, WE SHOULD ENSURE GATE AGENT LOOKS AT THE DOOR ONCE THE GATE IS MOVED BACK FROM THE ACFT. THIS BENT TAB WAS EASILY VISIBLE FROM OUTSIDE THE ACFT, BUT DOOR APPEARED NORMAL FROM INSIDE, INCLUDING DOOR LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 415216: THIS FLT WAS A CHARTER FOR A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETIC TEAM. IT WAS CONDUCTED IN A MANNER WITH LESS ADHERENCE TO THE STRICT RULES THAT ARE NORMALLY FOLLOWED IN NORMAL PART 121 OPS. AS IT IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE 'ACR POLICY' ON SUCH CHARTERS, A MORE FESTIVE AND ENTERTAINING ATMOSPHERE WAS ENJOYED BY THE PAX, AND WAS ALLOWED BY THE CREW. SAFETY WAS NEVER JEOPARDIZED DURING THIS EVENT.

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.