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A319 flight crew discovers upon arrival at the aircraft that the cockpit door is locked and that it cannot be unlocked using the keypad. Maintenance is called and defers the lock using the wrong MEL procedure which renders the door locking mechanism inoperative. This is not discovered by the crew until enroute.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1231357 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201501 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Cruise |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Interior Door |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying First Officer |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Dispatcher |
| Qualification | Dispatch Dispatcher |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Security |
Narrative:
When the flight crew arrived at the aircraft; cockpit door was observed to be locked and APU was running (most likely done by the tug crew prior to crew show). Inputting the emergency access code would not open door and no lights or tones were seen/heard; indicating that the emergency cockpit door access panel was not working properly. Maintenance was advised and two mechanics responded. Eventually; to access the cockpit; they forced an automatic APU shutdown which depowered the door and allowed cockpit access. However; when they deferred the emergency access panel in accordance with their maintenance procedures; they used the wrong procedure and disconnected wires/plugs behind the 'center console door panel' instead of the overhead 'cockpit door control panel' and subsequently pulled and saftied the passenger mon circuit breaker. Both pilots checked the maintenance release and MEL and followed listed procedures; pushing back and taking off with no unusual events.in flight; while opening the door to receive meals; it was found that the cockpit door strikers were completely depowered and the door had been unlocked since maintenance had released the aircraft and could be opened from the cabin by forcefully pushing on it. The door was immediately barricaded with crew bags and the center jumpseat was slid into position to keep the door in the closed position and to prevent cockpit access. The captain notified maintenance control; dispatch and the duty manager; and after they sent the proper MEL procedures the flight crew realized that maintenance had used the wrong procedure to defer the malfunction which resulted in an illegal dispatch. The proper MEL pilot items were complied with and the passenger mon circuit breaker was pushed in at maintenance control's direction. The door locks energized and the door was checked to be secure. Maintenance was thoroughly debriefed on the ground; as was the oncoming crew.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 flight crew discovers upon arrival at the aircraft that the cockpit door is locked and that it cannot be unlocked using the keypad. Maintenance is called and defers the lock using the wrong MEL procedure which renders the door locking mechanism inoperative. This is not discovered by the crew until enroute.
Narrative: When the flight crew arrived at the aircraft; cockpit door was observed to be locked and APU was running (most likely done by the tug crew prior to crew show). Inputting the emergency access code would not open door and no lights or tones were seen/heard; indicating that the emergency cockpit door access panel was not working properly. Maintenance was advised and two mechanics responded. Eventually; to access the cockpit; they forced an automatic APU shutdown which depowered the door and allowed cockpit access. However; when they deferred the emergency access panel in accordance with their maintenance procedures; they used the wrong procedure and disconnected wires/plugs behind the 'center console door panel' instead of the overhead 'cockpit door control panel' and subsequently pulled and saftied the PAX MON CB. Both pilots checked the Maintenance Release and MEL and followed listed procedures; pushing back and taking off with no unusual events.In flight; while opening the door to receive meals; it was found that the cockpit door strikers were completely depowered and the door had been unlocked since maintenance had released the aircraft and could be opened from the cabin by forcefully pushing on it. The door was immediately barricaded with crew bags and the center jumpseat was slid into position to keep the door in the closed position and to prevent cockpit access. The Captain notified Maintenance Control; Dispatch and the Duty Manager; and after they sent the proper MEL procedures the flight crew realized that Maintenance had used the wrong procedure to defer the malfunction which resulted in an illegal dispatch. The proper MEL pilot items were complied with and the PAX MON CB was pushed in at Maintenance Control's direction. The door locks energized and the door was checked to be secure. Maintenance was thoroughly debriefed on the ground; as was the oncoming crew.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.