B737-300 must return to gate to have cargo door properly secured.
Synopsis
B737-300 must return to gate to have cargo door properly secured.
Narrative
Contacted Ground Crew with; 'A's off; brakes set.' Tug Driver responded with; 'Doors closed; walkaround complete; safety zone is clear.' I released the brakes; cleared him to push; and we left the gate. Normal engine start; after start flows; Before Taxi checklist. We were cleared to Runway XXR and left the ramp for the long taxi down the parallel. Headed northbound and crossing Runway XY; Tower called to tell us that Operations called and thought we might have an open cargo door and cleared us back to the ramp. We entered the ramp; shut down the #2 engine; and a Ramper closed the door. Subsequent engine start; checklist; taxi; takeoff; and flight to our destination were uneventful. Upon arriving; the time sheet was handed in to us with the explanation for the late departure that the crew pushed the gate without doing a walkaround and had to return to secure a door. All procedures were followed and while I don't think I missed the door annunciator light. I think that we have great procedures at the company. I also think that everyone involved in this was trying to do the right thing. Where the door came open; I don't know; but I do think we would have caught it with the Before Takeoff Checklist. A concern I have is with the fairly new procedures whereby the gate agents must account for every minute an aircraft falls behind schedule on their watch; it has really started a 'blame game'.
Second reporter narrative
Ground called and told us that Company Operations had notified them that our forward cargo door was open. We looked up and the forward cargo light was on. The Captain then also pushed the recall button and the master caution light illuminated and stayed on.The Captain and I were both taken aback by what happened and carefully reconstructed the sequence of events leading up to the door being open. We both agreed that all checklists had been accomplished; and remembered that I had (as per the Before Takeoff checklist) pushed the recall light and verified that the master caution remained extinguished prior to taxi. It is possible that the door was not completely closed and came open while taxiing. I cannot discount the possibility that we could have made an error; but we (and the Ground Crew) would have had to have made several others as well. It was the last leg of a particularly long 4-day; and a day where we had had several other challenges as well.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.