Narrative:

2 previous legs were normal. At the gate in uca with engines shut down and aircraft chocked. First officer was attempting to open the cabin door. She stated that she was unable to open the door. Getting up to assist her, we suddenly heard a very loud bang and a rush of air. Outside the aircraft, a ramp agent was lying on the ground near the aft cargo door. At that point we realized what had happened. The aircraft had not depressurized. The ramp agent was injured by the door as it violently flew open. The cabin door could not be opened as there is a diaphragm, which when pressurized, will not allow it to be opened. The cargo door has no such safety. After assisting the agent inside, I checked to see where the 'cabin' altitude had been set. This was normal, ie, 500 ft about field elevation. Also a squat switch on landing gear should dump the cabin if the crew does not set the cabin altitude correctly. I believe this squat switch worked normally as other system associated with it worked normally. A phone call to maintenance confirmed that this aircraft had 'a history of pressurization problems.' obviously a broken aircraft, of which we had no indication, was outside of our control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: because the report appeared to indicate a serious injury, it was assumed to be an accident so a letter was sent to the reporter. He, in turn, called to report that the agent wasn't seriously injured and had been released from the hospital the same day of the incident. Also, there is nothing in the NTSB database relating to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FAILED TO AUTO DEPRESSURIZE AFTER LNDG, AND AGENT WAS INJURED WHEN CARGO DOOR BLEW OPEN. CABIN DOOR WOULDN'T OPEN DUE TO SAFETY DIAPHRAGM.

Narrative: 2 PREVIOUS LEGS WERE NORMAL. AT THE GATE IN UCA WITH ENGS SHUT DOWN AND ACFT CHOCKED. FO WAS ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE CABIN DOOR. SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR. GETTING UP TO ASSIST HER, WE SUDDENLY HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG AND A RUSH OF AIR. OUTSIDE THE ACFT, A RAMP AGENT WAS LYING ON THE GND NEAR THE AFT CARGO DOOR. AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE ACFT HAD NOT DEPRESSURIZED. THE RAMP AGENT WAS INJURED BY THE DOOR AS IT VIOLENTLY FLEW OPEN. THE CABIN DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED AS THERE IS A DIAPHRAGM, WHICH WHEN PRESSURIZED, WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO BE OPENED. THE CARGO DOOR HAS NO SUCH SAFETY. AFTER ASSISTING THE AGENT INSIDE, I CHKED TO SEE WHERE THE 'CABIN' ALT HAD BEEN SET. THIS WAS NORMAL, IE, 500 FT ABOUT FIELD ELEVATION. ALSO A SQUAT SWITCH ON LNDG GEAR SHOULD DUMP THE CABIN IF THE CREW DOES NOT SET THE CABIN ALT CORRECTLY. I BELIEVE THIS SQUAT SWITCH WORKED NORMALLY AS OTHER SYS ASSOCIATED WITH IT WORKED NORMALLY. A PHONE CALL TO MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THIS ACFT HAD 'A HISTORY OF PRESSURIZATION PROBS.' OBVIOUSLY A BROKEN ACFT, OF WHICH WE HAD NO INDICATION, WAS OUTSIDE OF OUR CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BECAUSE THE RPT APPEARED TO INDICATE A SERIOUS INJURY, IT WAS ASSUMED TO BE AN ACCIDENT SO A LETTER WAS SENT TO THE RPTR. HE, IN TURN, CALLED TO RPT THAT THE AGENT WASN'T SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THE SAME DAY OF THE INCIDENT. ALSO, THERE IS NOTHING IN THE NTSB DATABASE RELATING TO THE INCIDENT.

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.