A CANADAIR CL65 IN CLB AT 13000 FT HAD A 'PAX DOOR LATCH' WARNING. NO PRESSURE PROBS AND DOOR LATCH MARKS WERE IN ALIGNMENT SO TRIP CONTINUED TO DEST.

Date: 1999-01 · Aircraft: Challenger CL604

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A CANADAIR CL65 IN CLB AT 13000 FT HAD A 'PAX DOOR LATCH' WARNING. NO PRESSURE PROBS AND DOOR LATCH MARKS WERE IN ALIGNMENT SO TRIP CONTINUED TO DEST.

Narrative

DURING CLBOUT FROM CINCINNATI; WE RECEIVED A MASTER CAUTION THAT READ 'PAX DR LATCH' (PAX DOOR LATCH). THE ABNORMAL CHKLIST STATES: CABIN PRESSURE -- CHK NORMAL; IF PRESSURE IS NORMAL -- NO FURTHER PLT ACTION. I ASKED THE FO TO TAKE COM #1 (ATC) WHILE I CALL MAINT ON COM #2. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT DURING COLD WX OPS THE DOOR LATCH INDICATOR TENDS TO GIVE FALSE INDICATIONS; EVEN WHEN THE VISUAL 'WITNESS' MARKS ARE IN PROPER ALIGNMENT. THE FO AND I DECIDED WE WERE DEALING WITH A NUISANCE MESSAGE (CABIN PRESSURE WAS NORMAL). THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REQUESTED TO REMAIN AT 13000 FT UNTIL WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS AND TALKED TO MAINT. I THEN CONTACTED ATC. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE WOULD PROCEED TO OUR DEST (ROC) AND ASKED THEM FOR FL230 (DUE TO RPTS OF TURB AT HIGHER ALTS). ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE RUNNING VERY LATE AND I REQUESTED A 'SHORT CUT.' WITHOUT ANY HESITATION; THE CTLR GAVE US DIRECT TO BUFFALO. 20 MINS LATER; WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT ZOB AND THAT HE WAS AWARE OF OUR SIT. I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE CTLR WAS REFERRING TO; SO I ASKED THE NEXT CTLR. HE TOLD ME THAT WE HAD AN OPEN DOOR INDICATION; WE WERE MAINTAINING 270 KIAS; AND STAYING LOW JUST IN CASE THE DOOR BLEW OPEN. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT HE 'HASN'T DECLARED AN EMER YET.' I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE DOING 330 KIAS AND THE MESSAGE WAS A FALSE INDICATION. HE THANKED ME FOR THE INFO; AND WE CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH ROC APCH; THE CTLR ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. WE WERE GETTING VERY BUSY AND I TOLD HIM WE DIDN'T NEED ANY ASSISTANCE AND THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBS AT ALL. BY THIS TIME THE NUISANCE MESSAGE HAD GONE OUT. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE; I TALKED TO THE NEXT CAPT (CREW CHANGE) ABOUT THE MESSAGE. THE OTHER CAPT AND I THEN TALKED TO THE MAINT COORDINATOR. WE WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE MESSAGE BEING AN ANOMALY. NO MAINT 'WRITE-UP' WAS ENTERED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK; AND THE NEXT CREW FLEW THE AIRPLANE. LATER THAT EVENING; THE FO TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE TOLD ATC BECAUSE HE WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THE DOOR. HE THOUGHT HE TOLD THE CTLRS THAT WE HAD A DOOR PROB AND THAT WE WANTED TO DO 270 KIAS. SOMEHOW A DOOR LATCH CAUTION EVOLVED INTO A STORY ABOUT A DOOR UNSAFE CONDITION. EVEN AFTER I TALKED TO THE CTR CTLR AND STRAIGHTENED EVERYTHING OUT; THE STORY GREW AGAIN INTO SOMETHING THAT IT WASN'T. I SUSPECT THE CTLR THAT CLRED ME DIRECT TO BUFFALO (AT MY REQUEST) PROBABLY THINKS I VALUE ON TIME PERFORMANCE MORE THAN THE SAFETY OF MY PAX AND CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT PRIOR TO LNDG AND WAS NOT ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK. THE RPTR SAID IN THE LAST 4 TIMES THIS DOOR WARNING HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IT WAS A FAULTY DOOR SENSOR OR TARGET PROB AND ONE TIME IT WAS A MASTER CAUTION DISPLAY PROB. THE RPTR STATED THE EXACT CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS UNKNOWN.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.