An air carrier pilot found that there is no 'panic hardware' on the doors leading from the jetway in...

Attributes
ACN	226282
Time
Date	199211
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	226282
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We picked up an aircraft on gate X at the kbwi airport. In addition to the card and code access lock going from the terminal to the aircraft, there is also a card and code access lock going from the aircraft jetway to the terminal. In other words, if the door is closed, you cannot get through the door coming from the jetway to the terminal. This is a safety hazard. What if I had to evacuate/evacuation my passenger from a problem situation on the aircraft to the terminal? They could not get from the jetway to inside the terminal because the door is locked. There is no safety bar that will open the door from the aircraft side of the jetway. So, potentially, there would be panic, etc, from a jetway full of passenger which are locked in the jetway with a potential problem still on the aircraft, e.g., fire! Somebody literally has to have a key and code to open the door! I suggest that this dangerous situation be investigated. I tried to tell the FAA ATC controllers about it and asked that they relay the problem to the airport management authorities, but they indicated that they have no correspondence with kbwi state airport management authorities on this issue. This is a potential tragedy waiting to happen, all in the name of perceived security!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT FOUND THAT THERE IS NO 'PANIC HARDWARE' ON THE DOORS LEADING FROM THE JETWAY INTO THE TERMINAL AT BWI, THE DOORS ARE LOCKED TIGHT!

Narrative: WE PICKED UP AN ACFT ON GATE X AT THE KBWI ARPT. IN ADDITION TO THE CARD AND CODE ACCESS LOCK GOING FROM THE TERMINAL TO THE ACFT, THERE IS ALSO A CARD AND CODE ACCESS LOCK GOING FROM THE ACFT JETWAY TO THE TERMINAL. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE DOOR IS CLOSED, YOU CANNOT GET THROUGH THE DOOR COMING FROM THE JETWAY TO THE TERMINAL. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. WHAT IF I HAD TO EVAC MY PAX FROM A PROB SIT ON THE ACFT TO THE TERMINAL? THEY COULD NOT GET FROM THE JETWAY TO INSIDE THE TERMINAL BECAUSE THE DOOR IS LOCKED. THERE IS NO SAFETY BAR THAT WILL OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE ACFT SIDE OF THE JETWAY. SO, POTENTIALLY, THERE WOULD BE PANIC, ETC, FROM A JETWAY FULL OF PAX WHICH ARE LOCKED IN THE JETWAY WITH A POTENTIAL PROB STILL ON THE ACFT, E.G., FIRE! SOMEBODY LITERALLY HAS TO HAVE A KEY AND CODE TO OPEN THE DOOR! I SUGGEST THAT THIS DANGEROUS SIT BE INVESTIGATED. I TRIED TO TELL THE FAA ATC CTLRS ABOUT IT AND ASKED THAT THEY RELAY THE PROB TO THE ARPT MGMNT AUTHORITIES, BUT THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE NO CORRESPONDENCE WITH KBWI STATE ARPT MGMNT AUTHORITIES ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN, ALL IN THE NAME OF PERCEIVED SECURITY!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

An air carrier pilot found that there is no 'panic hardware' on the doors leading from the jetway into the terminal at bwi, the doors are locked tight!