B757 RETURNS TO FIELD AFTER CABIN DOOR OPENS INFLT IN ZLC AIRSPACE.

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ON CLBOUT FROM SLC; ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB FOR SEVERAL MINS OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE E. AS WE WERE LEVELING OFF ON TOP IN LIGHT CHOP; GOT A 'L AFT ENTRY DOOR' EICAS MESSAGE AND ASSOCIATED DOOR LIGHT. CABIN PRESSURE WAS NORMAL. A FEW MINS LATER; A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID THE DOOR HANDLE WAS UP SLIGHTLY AND WOULD NOT STAY DOWN. THE MESSAGE AND LIGHT BLINKED OFF AND ON AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO STOW THE HANDLE. A DSCNT TO MEA WAS INITIATED AS WAS CALLED FOR IN THE ABNORMAL PROC WITH A HANDLE THAT WILL NOT CLOSE. AFTER TALKING TO THE DISPATCHER; A RETURN TO SLC WAS INITIATED. ENRTE TO SLC; THE HEAD FLT ATTENDANT ATTEMPTED TO DISARM THE DOOR SLIDE BUT COULD NOT. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WITH THE LIGHT PAX LOAD; THOSE NEAREST THE DOOR COULD BE MOVED. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ABOUT 15 MI FINAL AND 6500 FT WITH ACFT DEPRESSURIZED AS CALLED FOR; A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED EXCITEDLY AND SAID THE DOOR HAD OPENED. AN EMER WAS DECLARED THINKING THE SLIDE MIGHT OR MAY HAVE DEPLOYED. THERE WAS ALSO SOME DISCUSSION AS TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF 1 FLT ATTENDANT. CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG AND AFTER CLRING THE RWY THE FIRE DEPT CONFIRMED THE DOOR AREA LOOKED NORMAL. THE FO WAS ABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND DISARM THE SLIDE. TAXIED TO THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE MISSING CABIN ATTENDANT WAS LOCATED ON BOARD. HE ALSO STATES THAT THE DOOR PROBABLY OPENED BECAUSE OF THE DEPRESSURIZATION CALLED FOR IN THE ABNORMAL PROC. MAINT HAD RECENTLY WORKED ON THIS DOOR BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS DOOR HANDLE PROBS. ONCE THE DOOR OPENED; THE CAPT ELECTED TO REPRESSURIZE THE ACFT SLIGHTLY IN ORDER TO KEEP PRESSURE ON THE DOOR. THE RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS APCHED THE COMPANY TO CHANGE THIS PROC (IE; DO NOT DEPRESSURIZE); AND THEY ARE DISCUSSING THE CHANGE WITH THE MANUFACTURER.