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B737-800 pilot reported he is concerned that gate agents may not understand or lack proper training in aircraft door handling procedures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1354229 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201605 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201-1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Exterior Pax/Crew Door |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Upon arrival at gate; gate agent noticed the exterior handle on the L1 door was not flush with the door and recessed into the soffit of the door. We discussed the situation with both the gate agent and the #1 flight attendant. Apparently there was a recent change to the arrival procedure where the gate agents are now opening the door upon arrival (completing the entire opening procedure) versus the former procedure where the flight attendant would crack the door and agent would open it after it is cracked. I am concerned the gate agents do not understand or have not been trained to ensure the exterior door handle has retracted into the correct position after the door is opened. If they do not check this as they open the door; many 737 aircraft will be flown this way inducing significant airflow forces on the handles which they were never designed to withstand. It would just be a matter of time before a handle fails and falls off the aircraft in flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-800 pilot reported he is concerned that gate agents may not understand or lack proper training in aircraft door handling procedures.
Narrative: Upon arrival at gate; gate agent noticed the exterior handle on the L1 door was not flush with the door and recessed into the soffit of the door. We discussed the situation with both the gate agent and the #1 flight attendant. Apparently there was a recent change to the arrival procedure where the gate agents are now opening the door upon arrival (completing the entire opening procedure) versus the former procedure where the flight attendant would crack the door and agent would open it after it is cracked. I am concerned the gate agents do not understand or have not been trained to ensure the exterior door handle has retracted into the correct position after the door is opened. If they do not check this as they open the door; many 737 aircraft will be flown this way inducing significant airflow forces on the handles which they were never designed to withstand. It would just be a matter of time before a handle fails and falls off the aircraft in flight.
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.