Narrative:

While waiting for aircraft to come in from phl, talked with dispatch concerning aircraft mechanical problems. (We were late and another crew was bringing it in from phl.) I was told that the problem was with the door seal (pressurized aircraft). When the aircraft arrived in dca, I talked with the crew and found out that it was the door closing mechanism. A lever is pushed down over center, which inflates the door seal and keeps the door immobile. (The door is heavy, and this same lever, when lifted, raises the whole door over lips so that it can open outward.) the other crew told me that the door was fixed, with no problems on their flight, but that the lever was 'spongy.' it was, but all door lights went out when it was closed, so I accepted the aircraft. Then I discovered that the pressurization had been MEL'd. Although the door seal (pressurization) is an integral part of that lever, the lever itself was what had been giving problems. I took aircraft as previous crew had said 'no problem.' en route, the handle popped up just over center, and the door seal deflated. A passenger asked the F/a if she needed help holding it down (she said no, and left the lever as it was. Door did ot open). My main concern is that in my opinion (after the fact), I feel that the aircraft should not have been in revenue service. I also feel that the company had a lot more facts that I did. They maneuvered me and my crew into operating a questionably airworthy aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MDT COMPLAINT ABOUT BEING COERCED INTO ACCEPTING AN ACFT WITH A MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF DOOR LATCH PROBLEMS. DOOR LATCH MALFUNCTIONED IN FLT.

Narrative: WHILE WAITING FOR ACFT TO COME IN FROM PHL, TALKED WITH DISPATCH CONCERNING ACFT MECHANICAL PROBS. (WE WERE LATE AND ANOTHER CREW WAS BRINGING IT IN FROM PHL.) I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROB WAS WITH THE DOOR SEAL (PRESSURIZED ACFT). WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED IN DCA, I TALKED WITH THE CREW AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS THE DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM. A LEVER IS PUSHED DOWN OVER CENTER, WHICH INFLATES THE DOOR SEAL AND KEEPS THE DOOR IMMOBILE. (THE DOOR IS HEAVY, AND THIS SAME LEVER, WHEN LIFTED, RAISES THE WHOLE DOOR OVER LIPS SO THAT IT CAN OPEN OUTWARD.) THE OTHER CREW TOLD ME THAT THE DOOR WAS FIXED, WITH NO PROBS ON THEIR FLT, BUT THAT THE LEVER WAS 'SPONGY.' IT WAS, BUT ALL DOOR LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN IT WAS CLOSED, SO I ACCEPTED THE ACFT. THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE PRESSURIZATION HAD BEEN MEL'D. ALTHOUGH THE DOOR SEAL (PRESSURIZATION) IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT LEVER, THE LEVER ITSELF WAS WHAT HAD BEEN GIVING PROBS. I TOOK ACFT AS PREVIOUS CREW HAD SAID 'NO PROB.' ENRTE, THE HANDLE POPPED UP JUST OVER CENTER, AND THE DOOR SEAL DEFLATED. A PAX ASKED THE F/A IF SHE NEEDED HELP HOLDING IT DOWN (SHE SAID NO, AND LEFT THE LEVER AS IT WAS. DOOR DID OT OPEN). MY MAIN CONCERN IS THAT IN MY OPINION (AFTER THE FACT), I FEEL THAT THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN REVENUE SVC. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE COMPANY HAD A LOT MORE FACTS THAT I DID. THEY MANEUVERED ME AND MY CREW INTO OPERATING A QUESTIONABLY AIRWORTHY ACFT.

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.