Narrative:

At FL350, I had to remove my oxygen mask and get up from my seat to manually open the intrusion resistant cockpit door when the remote door release function failed. Otherwise, I would have had to land the aircraft as a solo pilot, as the captain would have been unable to return to the cockpit. I was out of my seat for approximately 3-5 seconds. Company preflight procedures test ability to lock, but not unlock the door. This needs to be changed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the door was locked when the captain left the cockpit for the lavatory. The reporter said while on oxygen and knowing captain wanted in, the remote lock was activated, but did not unlock the door. The reporter stated it was necessary to remove the oxygen mask and leave the seat to manually unlock the door. The reporter said the required preflight test of the door is the ability to lock, but not unlock and should be changed. The reporter stated this door has caused many problems in other aircraft such as doors pinched tight when the cabin is pressurized, the exterior circular door knob is too small to exert enough force to open the door when unlocked. The reporter said some crews have taken to carrying cord lanyards which are looped around the exterior door knob to pull the door open when unlocked. The reporter stated the captain in this incident had a lanyard but was of no use since the door would not unlock.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-10 IN CRUISE AT FL350 REQUIRED THE FO TO REMOVE HIS OXYGEN MASK AND LEAVE HIS SEAT TO MANUALLY OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR WHEN THE ELECTRIC LOCK FAILED TO UNLOCK FOR THE CAPT.

Narrative: AT FL350, I HAD TO REMOVE MY OXYGEN MASK AND GET UP FROM MY SEAT TO MANUALLY OPEN THE INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR WHEN THE REMOTE DOOR RELEASE FUNCTION FAILED. OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO LAND THE ACFT AS A SOLO PLT, AS THE CAPT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE COCKPIT. I WAS OUT OF MY SEAT FOR APPROX 3-5 SECONDS. COMPANY PREFLT PROCS TEST ABILITY TO LOCK, BUT NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR WAS LOCKED WHEN THE CAPT LEFT THE COCKPIT FOR THE LAVATORY. THE RPTR SAID WHILE ON OXYGEN AND KNOWING CAPT WANTED IN, THE REMOTE LOCK WAS ACTIVATED, BUT DID NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE RPTR STATED IT WAS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE OXYGEN MASK AND LEAVE THE SEAT TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR. THE RPTR SAID THE REQUIRED PREFLT TEST OF THE DOOR IS THE ABILITY TO LOCK, BUT NOT UNLOCK AND SHOULD BE CHANGED. THE RPTR STATED THIS DOOR HAS CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS IN OTHER ACFT SUCH AS DOORS PINCHED TIGHT WHEN THE CABIN IS PRESSURIZED, THE EXTERIOR CIRCULAR DOOR KNOB IS TOO SMALL TO EXERT ENOUGH FORCE TO OPEN THE DOOR WHEN UNLOCKED. THE RPTR SAID SOME CREWS HAVE TAKEN TO CARRYING CORD LANYARDS WHICH ARE LOOPED AROUND THE EXTERIOR DOOR KNOB TO PULL THE DOOR OPEN WHEN UNLOCKED. THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT IN THIS INCIDENT HAD A LANYARD BUT WAS OF NO USE SINCE THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK.

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.