Narrative:

Pushed off gate after getting clearance from ramp control. Started right engine during pushback. Upon completion of push, a company aircraft, waiting on the ramp for our gate, called on ramp frequency to report that our aft cargo door was open. I shut the right engine down and called operations to send an agent out to close the door. When this was accomplished, I started both engines and taxied away. Until approximately 6 months ago, standard procedure for my company was for the captain to verify that the door lights are all out and report that to the pushback crew as part of our push instructions. This procedure has been changed to include a check of the door lights as part of 4 items accomplished and reported by the first officer just prior to start during the start checklist. The first officer reported the door lights out, but had overlooked the aft cargo caution light on the door lights panel. This could possibly have been due to a bright glare coming into the cabin. This first officer is very conscientious, so it was unusual for him not to catch a door light. As a result of the change in procedure, I have dropped my scan of the door lights panel prior to pushback. It looks like a good idea if I reinstituted this step as a personal procedure. Even if we had gotten away from the gate with the cargo door open, it would have shown up on the before takeoff checklist when both the captain and first officer press-to-test the master warning system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 PUSHED BACK WITH AFT CARGO DOOR OPEN. THE ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND CGP WERE CALLED TO CLOSE DOOR.

Narrative: PUSHED OFF GATE AFTER GETTING CLRNC FROM RAMP CTL. STARTED R ENG DURING PUSHBACK. UPON COMPLETION OF PUSH, A COMPANY ACFT, WAITING ON THE RAMP FOR OUR GATE, CALLED ON RAMP FREQ TO RPT THAT OUR AFT CARGO DOOR WAS OPEN. I SHUT THE R ENG DOWN AND CALLED OPS TO SEND AN AGENT OUT TO CLOSE THE DOOR. WHEN THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED, I STARTED BOTH ENGS AND TAXIED AWAY. UNTIL APPROX 6 MONTHS AGO, STANDARD PROC FOR MY COMPANY WAS FOR THE CAPT TO VERIFY THAT THE DOOR LIGHTS ARE ALL OUT AND RPT THAT TO THE PUSHBACK CREW AS PART OF OUR PUSH INSTRUCTIONS. THIS PROC HAS BEEN CHANGED TO INCLUDE A CHK OF THE DOOR LIGHTS AS PART OF 4 ITEMS ACCOMPLISHED AND RPTED BY THE FO JUST PRIOR TO START DURING THE START CHKLIST. THE FO RPTED THE DOOR LIGHTS OUT, BUT HAD OVERLOOKED THE AFT CARGO CAUTION LIGHT ON THE DOOR LIGHTS PANEL. THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN DUE TO A BRIGHT GLARE COMING INTO THE CABIN. THIS FO IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS, SO IT WAS UNUSUAL FOR HIM NOT TO CATCH A DOOR LIGHT. AS A RESULT OF THE CHANGE IN PROC, I HAVE DROPPED MY SCAN OF THE DOOR LIGHTS PANEL PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD IDEA IF I REINSTITUTED THIS STEP AS A PERSONAL PROC. EVEN IF WE HAD GOTTEN AWAY FROM THE GATE WITH THE CARGO DOOR OPEN, IT WOULD HAVE SHOWN UP ON THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST WHEN BOTH THE CAPT AND FO PRESS-TO-TEST THE MASTER WARNING SYS.

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.