AN S80 ACFT IS ADVISED TO RETURN TO ATL BY THEIR TECHNICAL SVCS DIVISION; BY PASSING DISPATCHER; WHEN CREW IS TOLD THAT THEIR GND PWR SVC ACCESS DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN IN ATL; GA.

Narrative

AFTER DEP; ATL OPS WAS CALLED BY THE GND CREW OF FLT XXX; AND INFORMED THAT THE GND PWR/INTERCONNECT DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN. ATL OPS CALLED THE CAPT; AND HE ASKED FOR TECHNICAL ADVICE. ATL OPS CALLED TECHNICIAN AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SIT. TECHNICIAN WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FLT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND THEY ADVISED ATL OPS TO TELL THE CREW TO RETURN TO ATL. AFTER ALL THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE; ATL OPS INFORMED DISPATCH. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT; BHM WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NEAREST MOST SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND AN ACFT WITH POTENTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. IT WAS TECHNICIAN'S BELIEF THAT THAT DOOR COULD HAVE FLOWN OFF AT ANY POINT AND CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR ENG DAMAGE. THIS IS WHY THEY ADVISED TO RETURN TO ATL. ONCE BACK IN ATL THE DOOR WAS SECURED CLOSED AND THE FLT DEPARTED. THIS RPT IS BEING FILED TO BRING LIGHT ON THE COMPLETE OMISSION OF THE DISPATCHER IN THIS SIT. THIS DIVERSION DECISION DOES NOT REST WITH TECHNICIAN OR WITH ATL OPS; BUT RATHER WITH THE CAPT AND THE DISPATCHER. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; THE FLT RETURNED SAFELY UNDER THE CAPT'S AUTH.