Narrative:

Upon arriving at gate X in sju approximately 1 hour prior to departure, we found that we were unable to open the terminal to jetbridge access door using our air carrier jetbridge key. An agent on the adjacent gate opened the door using a magnetic key card. We were advised that the card was the only way to open the jetbridge door from either side. We asked the agent to leave the door open as an aircraft to egress safety issue. We were told by the agent that we would not be possible citing the possibility of a fine by customs. We advised the agent that we would not be able to safely start our flight preparations unless the door was left open. I phoned sju general manager and requested his assistance in having the door left open. He claimed no knowledge of the jetbridge lock change on gate X. Finally 40 mins prior to scheduled departure, the jetbridge door was opened continuously for passenger boarding. The crew accessed the aircraft at that time to start their pre-flight. Two reports were sent earlier this yr regarding the same type of locks on gate Y at sju. The only reply that I received was a note that the reports had been sent to sju, but that they had not received a reply. Earlier this yr my first officer and I were trapped in the terminal to jetbridge transition area at gate X in sju due to the same electronic door locking system. We were trapped for 45 mins. There is no phone in this area. The rescuing agent advised us that a flight attendant had been trapped there previously. Due to the fact that in a fuel spill fire on the ramp area below the aircraft might require the crew to conduct an emergency egress into the passenger terminal via the jetbridge. The inability to unlock the jetbridge to summon help or escape a dangerous situation make the locked door situation an unacceptable safety risk for me and my crew. I know of no other station where the flight crew is not able to open the jetbridge door from the ramp side in case of an emergency. There has to be a solution to this problem which will allow the crew to open these doors at sju.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND SECURITY ACCESS SAFETY ISSUE AT SJU.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT GATE X IN SJU APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP, WE FOUND THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THE TERMINAL TO JETBRIDGE ACCESS DOOR USING OUR ACR JETBRIDGE KEY. AN AGENT ON THE ADJACENT GATE OPENED THE DOOR USING A MAGNETIC KEY CARD. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE CARD WAS THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE JETBRIDGE DOOR FROM EITHER SIDE. WE ASKED THE AGENT TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN AS AN ACFT TO EGRESS SAFETY ISSUE. WE WERE TOLD BY THE AGENT THAT WE WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE CITING THE POSSIBILITY OF A FINE BY CUSTOMS. WE ADVISED THE AGENT THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY START OUR FLT PREPARATIONS UNLESS THE DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN. I PHONED SJU GENERAL MGR AND REQUESTED HIS ASSISTANCE IN HAVING THE DOOR LEFT OPEN. HE CLAIMED NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE JETBRIDGE LOCK CHANGE ON GATE X. FINALLY 40 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP, THE JETBRIDGE DOOR WAS OPENED CONTINUOUSLY FOR PAX BOARDING. THE CREW ACCESSED THE ACFT AT THAT TIME TO START THEIR PRE-FLT. TWO RPTS WERE SENT EARLIER THIS YR REGARDING THE SAME TYPE OF LOCKS ON GATE Y AT SJU. THE ONLY REPLY THAT I RECEIVED WAS A NOTE THAT THE RPTS HAD BEEN SENT TO SJU, BUT THAT THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED A REPLY. EARLIER THIS YR MY FO AND I WERE TRAPPED IN THE TERMINAL TO JETBRIDGE TRANSITION AREA AT GATE X IN SJU DUE TO THE SAME ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKING SYS. WE WERE TRAPPED FOR 45 MINS. THERE IS NO PHONE IN THIS AREA. THE RESCUING AGENT ADVISED US THAT A FA HAD BEEN TRAPPED THERE PREVIOUSLY. DUE TO THE FACT THAT IN A FUEL SPILL FIRE ON THE RAMP AREA BELOW THE ACFT MIGHT REQUIRE THE CREW TO CONDUCT AN EMER EGRESS INTO THE PAX TERMINAL VIA THE JETBRIDGE. THE INABILITY TO UNLOCK THE JETBRIDGE TO SUMMON HELP OR ESCAPE A DANGEROUS SIT MAKE THE LOCKED DOOR SIT AN UNACCEPTABLE SAFETY RISK FOR ME AND MY CREW. I KNOW OF NO OTHER STATION WHERE THE FLC IS NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE JETBRIDGE DOOR FROM THE RAMP SIDE IN CASE OF AN EMER. THERE HAS TO BE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROB WHICH WILL ALLOW THE CREW TO OPEN THESE DOORS AT SJU.

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.