A B737-400 pilot expressed his concern that the aircraft MEL allows dispatch with the door lock inop...

Attributes
ACN	734425
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	734425
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

MEL (B737-400) provides for relief of the flight deck door automatic-unlock system to be inoperative. When this MEL is applied; the flight deck door is secured using the door dead bolt. In-flight; should the crew become disabled; there is no way to access the flight deck from the cabin. Flight attendants no longer have keys to the door. Should we have a bird strike; operational issues or some reason the pilots are disabled; the flight deck crew cannot be helped during an emergency. The flight deck cannot be accessed in-flight with this MEL. This discrepancy should be a no-go item and relief by MEL should be removed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 PILOT EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN THAT THE AIRCRAFT MEL ALLOWS DISPATCH WITH THE DOOR LOCK INOP; RENDERING THE COCKPIT INACCESSIBLE SINCE THE CABIN CREW NO LONGER CARRIES A DOOR KEY.

Narrative: MEL (B737-400) PROVIDES FOR RELIEF OF THE FLT DECK DOOR AUTO-UNLOCK SYS TO BE INOP. WHEN THIS MEL IS APPLIED; THE FLT DECK DOOR IS SECURED USING THE DOOR DEAD BOLT. INFLT; SHOULD THE CREW BECOME DISABLED; THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCESS THE FLT DECK FROM THE CABIN. FLT ATTENDANTS NO LONGER HAVE KEYS TO THE DOOR. SHOULD WE HAVE A BIRD STRIKE; OPERATIONAL ISSUES OR SOME REASON THE PLTS ARE DISABLED; THE FLT DECK CREW CANNOT BE HELPED DURING AN EMER. THE FLT DECK CANNOT BE ACCESSED INFLT WITH THIS MEL. THIS DISCREPANCY SHOULD BE A NO-GO ITEM AND RELIEF BY MEL SHOULD BE REMOVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A B737-400 pilot expressed his concern that the aircraft MEL allows dispatch with the door lock inoperative; rendering the cockpit inaccessible since the cabin crew no longer carries a door key.