A flight crew reports a fwd cargo door light on. Contract ramp personnel told them to MEL it. Mainte...

Attributes
ACN	743222
Time
Date	200706
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	743222
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe ground encounters : fod non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Ready to push; ramp said walkaround complete. I told ramp that the forward cargo door was still illuminated and to check the door. Door light still on had ramp check 1 more time even heard the door slam. The light was still on. Called maintenance. Maintenance came back with 'are you ready to copy?' I asked him; 'copy what?' he said the en route MEL. I told him that we were still at the gate. He told me that we could have contract ramp personnel check the door and could MEL it. I told him I was not comfortable waiting to see if it pressurized in-flight and it might not hold; and would like maintenance to check the door; not the ramp crew. Nothing was further said. Maintenance showed up with debris and a padlock. He told me that the lock and debris was stuck in the sill keeping the door light on. As I suspected; it was not the light. The light was doing its job. Fix metal; not move metal just to get it out. Have competent personnel fix it; not the ramp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW REPORTS A FWD CARGO DOOR LIGHT ON. CONTRACT RAMP PERSONNEL TOLD THEM TO MEL IT. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FOUND FOD BLOCKING DOOR OPEN.

Narrative: READY TO PUSH; RAMP SAID WALKAROUND COMPLETE. I TOLD RAMP THAT THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR WAS STILL ILLUMINATED AND TO CHK THE DOOR. DOOR LIGHT STILL ON HAD RAMP CHK 1 MORE TIME EVEN HEARD THE DOOR SLAM. THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. CALLED MAINT. MAINT CAME BACK WITH 'ARE YOU READY TO COPY?' I ASKED HIM; 'COPY WHAT?' HE SAID THE ENRTE MEL. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE STILL AT THE GATE. HE TOLD ME THAT WE COULD HAVE CONTRACT RAMP PERSONNEL CHK THE DOOR AND COULD MEL IT. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WAITING TO SEE IF IT PRESSURIZED INFLT AND IT MIGHT NOT HOLD; AND WOULD LIKE MAINT TO CHK THE DOOR; NOT THE RAMP CREW. NOTHING WAS FURTHER SAID. MAINT SHOWED UP WITH DEBRIS AND A PADLOCK. HE TOLD ME THAT THE LOCK AND DEBRIS WAS STUCK IN THE SILL KEEPING THE DOOR LIGHT ON. AS I SUSPECTED; IT WAS NOT THE LIGHT. THE LIGHT WAS DOING ITS JOB. FIX METAL; NOT MOVE METAL JUST TO GET IT OUT. HAVE COMPETENT PERSONNEL FIX IT; NOT THE RAMP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A flight crew reports a fwd cargo door light on. Contract ramp personnel told them to MEL it. Maintenance personnel found FOD blocking door open.