<< >> NASA ASRS Report 551182, June 2002

MD80 crew was advised the forward entrance door had been damaged by the gate agent with an improperly operated jetway. The gate agent then tried to ignore the damage.

Attributes
ACN	551182
Time
Date	200206
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	551182
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 5
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

The gate agent at sat was having a difficult time closing the forward entry door. The jetbridge had become snug with the bottom of the door during passenger boarding. In an effort to lower the jetbridge, the agent accidentally raised it into the door, bending the gust lock and chafing some door skin. She then closed the forward entry door, apparently not noticing that the gust lock (bent and unable to retract flush into the door) was protruding out. The aircraft's APU was inoperative, so the engines were started at the gate. At the termination of the pushback, a very alert wing walker noticed the protruding gust lock and alerted the tug driver -- who then alerted me. I unstrapped myself from my seat, leaned out my sliding window and observed the protruding gust lock. I then asked to be towed back to the gate, since we had never been disconnected from the tug. Maintenance was alerted, and the aircraft was taken OTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW WAS ADVISED THE FORWARD ENTRANCE DOOR HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY THE GATE AGENT WITH AN IMPROPERLY OPERATED JETWAY. THE GATE AGENT THEN TRIED TO IGNORE THE DAMAGE.

Narrative: THE GATE AGENT AT SAT WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME CLOSING THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. THE JETBRIDGE HAD BECOME SNUG WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR DURING PAX BOARDING. IN AN EFFORT TO LOWER THE JETBRIDGE, THE AGENT ACCIDENTALLY RAISED IT INTO THE DOOR, BENDING THE GUST LOCK AND CHAFING SOME DOOR SKIN. SHE THEN CLOSED THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR, APPARENTLY NOT NOTICING THAT THE GUST LOCK (BENT AND UNABLE TO RETRACT FLUSH INTO THE DOOR) WAS PROTRUDING OUT. THE ACFT'S APU WAS INOP, SO THE ENGS WERE STARTED AT THE GATE. AT THE TERMINATION OF THE PUSHBACK, A VERY ALERT WING WALKER NOTICED THE PROTRUDING GUST LOCK AND ALERTED THE TUG DRIVER -- WHO THEN ALERTED ME. I UNSTRAPPED MYSELF FROM MY SEAT, LEANED OUT MY SLIDING WINDOW AND OBSERVED THE PROTRUDING GUST LOCK. I THEN ASKED TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE, SINCE WE HAD NEVER BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE TUG. MAINT WAS ALERTED, AND THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS.

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.