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A DC10-10 in cruise at FL350 had a stuck door that kept the captain locked out of cockpit. First officer removed oxygen mask, unbuckled seat belt to let captain back into cockpit.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 626488 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200408 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 35000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-10 Conversion |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 626488 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
In-flight, captain locked out of flight deck. Intrusion resistant cockpit door was preflted and operated normally during preflight check on the ground. Airborne, captain was unable to open cockpit door from cabin area and therefore locked out of cockpit. First officer had to remove oxygen mask, unbuckle seat belt to let captain back into cockpit. Problem was caused by door frame being warped in-flight and cabin door handle design that doesn't allow a firm grip to overcome door latch pressure. The door latch and/or door handle should be redesigned to account for this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the door checked ok on the ground during the preflight check. The reporter said the electric door lock was operating as the clicking was heard but the door was just pinched in the frame. The reporter stated this door problem in the DC10-10 has been reported continuously with no positive fix.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC10-10 IN CRUISE AT FL350 HAD A STUCK DOOR THAT KEPT THE CAPT LOCKED OUT OF COCKPIT. FO REMOVED OXYGEN MASK, UNBUCKLED SEAT BELT TO LET CAPT BACK INTO COCKPIT.
Narrative: INFLT, CAPT LOCKED OUT OF FLT DECK. INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR WAS PREFLTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY DURING PREFLT CHK ON THE GND. AIRBORNE, CAPT WAS UNABLE TO OPEN COCKPIT DOOR FROM CABIN AREA AND THEREFORE LOCKED OUT OF COCKPIT. FO HAD TO REMOVE OXYGEN MASK, UNBUCKLE SEAT BELT TO LET CAPT BACK INTO COCKPIT. PROB WAS CAUSED BY DOOR FRAME BEING WARPED INFLT AND CABIN DOOR HANDLE DESIGN THAT DOESN'T ALLOW A FIRM GRIP TO OVERCOME DOOR LATCH PRESSURE. THE DOOR LATCH AND/OR DOOR HANDLE SHOULD BE REDESIGNED TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR CHKED OK ON THE GND DURING THE PREFLT CHK. THE RPTR SAID THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK WAS OPERATING AS THE CLICKING WAS HEARD BUT THE DOOR WAS JUST PINCHED IN THE FRAME. THE RPTR STATED THIS DOOR PROB IN THE DC10-10 HAS BEEN RPTED CONTINUOUSLY WITH NO POSITIVE FIX.
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.