3/ ATC don't direct the Aircraft to return in regards to operational matters onboard, only the Captain decides what he wants to do.
Agree. The Captain wouldn't jeopardise the safety of the a/c and pax by continuing the flight with an open cargo door, would he? Did the crew abort takeoff/decided not to continue the flight only after ATC alerted them? If the cargo door on a 737-800 can be opened from the inside as some have confirmed, the crew must have got a warning? The point I was trying to make is, if they did get a warning, they wouldn't have continued anyway. Two things, they must have got a door open warning and were also alerted by ATC... the two things must have happened almost simultaneously.
So,
"If a plane takes off with an open cargo hold door, the consequences can be serious. If the front door is open, it will fly off and damage the wing and engine. If it is the rear door, it will hit the fuselage. The structural integrity of the aircraft will be impacted either way. Also the rear cargo section is pressurised for carrying livestock like pets and an open door can lead to pressurisation failure," said a senior pilot.
is not going to happen unless both crew are nutcases.
Then if the a/c was pressurised, how did the guy manage to open the door? Does this mean the a/c was not pressurised while it was taxiing out?
As suggested, the possibility of a 'loader siesta' shouldn't be discounted.
What? When a turn around is in full swing? Unless he had passed out after smoking grass.
Where are the desiboyz? I'd like to hear their take on this.