A SUPPLEMENTAL ACR FLC WAS INFORMED BY AN ARTCC RADAR CTLR THAT THEIR COMPANY WANTED THEM TO RETURN TO THEIR DEP STATION. THEY DID SO AND DISCOVERED THAT SOME OF THEIR PREVIOUS PAX STILL HAD THEIR BAGGAGE IN THE FORWARD BAGGAGE PIT. B727-200.

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SHORTLY AFTER TKOF SDF FLT RETURNED TO GATE SDF; PER COMPANY INSTRUCTIONS; RELAYED TO CREW BY CTR. THEN WE REFUELED; REFILED AND RESUMED FLT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. ALL TIMES AND FUEL LOADS WERE GIVEN TO GND HANDLERS FOR XMISSION TO COMPANY. NORMAL PROC. THE FOLLOWING DAY CREW WAS INFORMED THAT THE ORDER TO RETURN DID NOT COME FROM AIRLINES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A B727-200 FO AND HE SAID THAT MOST OF HIS INFO ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE RETURN TO SDF WAS SECOND-HAND. HE SAID THAT HE WAS FLYING WHEN THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR TOLD THEM THAT THE COMPANY WANTED THEM TO RETURN AND GAVE THEM A CLRNC TO DSND AS THEY WERE CLBING OUT OF 12000 FT. HE STARTED DOWN OUT OF 12500 FT. HE WAS TOLD LATER THAT A GATE AGENT WANTED THEM TO RETURN BECAUSE A PAX WHO DEPLANED IN SDF STILL HAD A BAG IN THE FORWARD BAGGAGE PIT THAT HAD SOME NECESSARY MEDICATION IN IT. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD SEEN SOME BAGGAGE AND MEAL PACKAGES IN THE FORWARD PIT DURING THE WALKAROUND AND HE HAD ASKED A RAMP AGENT TO INSURE THAT THEY WERE REMOVED SINCE THE REGULAR BAGGAGE PERSONNEL HAD APPARENTLY MISSED THEM DURING THE INITIAL UNLOADING. WHEN THE GATE AGENT LEARNED OF THE MISSING BAG AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS STILL IN THE PIT; HE CALLED THE TWR AND THE CTLR INFORMED ARTCC. THE FO SAID THAT ALL OF THE RETURN ACTIVITY SEEMED TO BE COORDINATED; BUT LATER LEARNED THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED AND THE CAPT WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL COMPANY DISPATCH AND FAILED TO DO SO. THE FLC WAS BUSY ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE ACFT AROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND THOUGHT THAT THE RELEASE WAS BEING PREPARED AND DID NOT KNOW ABOUT HAVING TO CALL THE COMPANY. LATER THE CAPT WAS MOVED DOWN TO FO FOR A MONTH; ACCORDING TO THE RPTR; AND SOME PROCS WERE CHANGED IN THE FLT OPS MANUAL TO BETTER HANDLE RETURNS SUCH AS THIS. THE FO DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RAMP AGENT OR BAGGAGE HANDLERS.