Narrative:

Second officer preflight was a normal, first flight of the day preflight, including checking the overhead escape hatch handle in the locked position. The exterior preflight was performed and it to was normal (including the hatch handle appeared stowed). Taxi and takeoff roll appeared normal until rotation. At that time the second officer heard a loud pop from the hatch. At this time the handle was now out of the lock position. After several attempts to reseal the hatch we returned to msp. Maintenance at that time inspected the hatch and noted that the catch mechanism did not operate properly from inside operation, only by opening the hatch and manually locking the catch could the locking mechanism work. The maintenance foreman then approved it for service. We then continued the trip uneventfully. I might add that when I first opened the hatch after landing an object was sucked out the opening. Perhaps that interfered with the proper closing operation. (Ps: sabotage may be evident due to strained relations with various factions of the air carrier X's acquisition of air carrier Y.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB RETURNED TO MSP AFTER TKOF WHEN FLT CREW WAS UNABLE TO PROPERLY SECURE THE COCKPIT OVERHEAD ESCAPE HATCH.

Narrative: S/O PREFLT WAS A NORMAL, FIRST FLT OF THE DAY PREFLT, INCLUDING CHKING THE OVERHEAD ESCAPE HATCH HANDLE IN THE LOCKED POS. THE EXTERIOR PREFLT WAS PERFORMED AND IT TO WAS NORMAL (INCLUDING THE HATCH HANDLE APPEARED STOWED). TAXI AND TKOF ROLL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL ROTATION. AT THAT TIME THE S/O HEARD A LOUD POP FROM THE HATCH. AT THIS TIME THE HANDLE WAS NOW OUT OF THE LOCK POS. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESEAL THE HATCH WE RETURNED TO MSP. MAINT AT THAT TIME INSPECTED THE HATCH AND NOTED THAT THE CATCH MECHANISM DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY FROM INSIDE OPERATION, ONLY BY OPENING THE HATCH AND MANUALLY LOCKING THE CATCH COULD THE LOCKING MECHANISM WORK. THE MAINT FOREMAN THEN APPROVED IT FOR SVC. WE THEN CONTINUED THE TRIP UNEVENTFULLY. I MIGHT ADD THAT WHEN I FIRST OPENED THE HATCH AFTER LNDG AN OBJECT WAS SUCKED OUT THE OPENING. PERHAPS THAT INTERFERED WITH THE PROPER CLOSING OPERATION. (PS: SABOTAGE MAY BE EVIDENT DUE TO STRAINED RELATIONS WITH VARIOUS FACTIONS OF THE ACR X'S ACQUISITION OF ACR Y.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.