FAULTY LOGBOOK SIGNOFF. DOOR WARNING ACTIVATED.

Narrative

AFTER DEPARTING SFO ENRTE TO FAT; WITH ACFT CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT; CREW OBTAINED A DOOR WARNING INDICATION 'LIGHT ILLUMINATION' FOR THE PAX DOOR. CREW ACCOMPLISHED EMER PROCS (REDUCED CABIN DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE; TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN AND VISUALLY INSPECTED DOOR FOR PROPER CLOSURE). CREW CONFIRMED INTERNAL DOOR ALIGNMENT (SHOOT PIN) INDICATORS AND DOOR HANDLE WERE IN THE PROPER (LOCKED) POS. FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENT OF EMER PROCS; CREW ELECTED TO DIVERT TO MOD FOR PRECAUTIONARY PURPOSES. ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT MOD. AFTER LNDG; THE CREW CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT CTL DEPT BY TELEPHONE. I WAS THE MAINT CTLR ON DUTY AT THE TIME. THE CAPT RPTED TO ME THE PROB WITH THE DOOR WARNING SYS AND EXPLAINED THAT THE SYS OPERATED NORMALLY ON THE GND AT MOD AND THAT HE VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT ALL DOOR LOCKING SHOOT PIN ALIGNMENT MARKS WERE ALIGNED TO THE LOCKED POS. I ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY ABNORMALITIES NOTED WITH THE PRESSURIZATION SYS DURING THE DOOR WARNING INDICATION. THE CAPT RESPONDED THAT HE EXPERIENCED NO PROBS WITH THE PRESSURIZATION SYS. THE CAPT ASKED IF HE SHOULD ENTER A DISCREPANCY IN THE ACT FLT LOGBOOK. I TOLD HIM THAT A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS REQUIRED. SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL AT MOD; I INDICATED TO THE CAPT THAT WE WOULD DEFER HIS DOOR WARNING SYS PER THE MEL SO AS HE COULD CONTINUE HIS FLT TO FAT. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT SAID HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A DMI WOULD BE NECESSARY SINCE HE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROB ON THE GND AND HAD VERIFIED POSITIVE CLOSURE OF THE DOOR. IN AN EFFORT TO DISPATCH THE ACFT; I AGREED TO ALLOW THE CAPT TO SIGN-OFF THE DISCREPANCY IN THE FLT LOGBOOK USING MY NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER WITH THE CAPT COUNTERSIGNING THE LOG PAGE. THIS PROC IS IN CONTRADICTION TO THE POLICY AND PROC CONTAINED WITH THE COMPANY'S MANUALS AND THE FARS. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE FLT CREW MEMBER TO CONVINCE ME TO RETURN THE ACFT TO SVC IN THIS MANNER. TAKING THE TIME TO FOLLOW PROPER DEFERRAL PROCS OR ARRANGE FOR THE INSPECTION OF THE DOOR WARNING SYS BY CONTRACT MAINT; EVEN IF ADDITIONAL DELAYS ARE REQUIRED WOULD BE FAR BETTER THAN INCORRECTLY RETURNING AN ACFT TO SVC.