Narrative:

2/91, on flight fpo-ric, I left the cockpit for physiological reasons. On trying to reenter the cockpit, I found the knob to be completely free-wheeling, with or west/O a key. The door simply could not be opened (from either side)! On my request, the second officer attempted to kick open the door with his foot, at door knob level, but to no avail. The whole door and attached wall pulsated about 1 1/2'. For almost 1 hour (until just prior to landing), several passenger and myself were engaged in attempting to open the door with everything available to us--small pocket knives, nail files, small screwdrivers, and even a church key. The alternative was to have the second officer use the fire axe to chop down the entire door, causing potential panic to many of our passenger. In light of the heavy experience level of both the copilot and F/east, I elected to leave the door intact, have the copilot make the landing from the left seat. I buckled myself in empty passenger seat. A safe landing was accomplished with 2 well qualified crew members at the controls. Let me say that as a result of almost 1 hour of continual frustration in trying to get the cockpit door open, I inadvertently overlooked writing up our door lock failure in the aircraft log book on landing in ric. Supplemental information from acn 171541: arrived in fll. Flight crew mentioned having difficulties opening cockpit door previously. Checked door lock and after very minor action door lock operation was normal.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR LGT CHARTER FLT GOT LOCKED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND SAT IN A PASSENGER SEAT WHILE FO AND SO MADE THE LNDG.

Narrative: 2/91, ON FLT FPO-RIC, I LEFT THE COCKPIT FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS. ON TRYING TO REENTER THE COCKPIT, I FOUND THE KNOB TO BE COMPLETELY FREE-WHEELING, WITH OR W/O A KEY. THE DOOR SIMPLY COULD NOT BE OPENED (FROM EITHER SIDE)! ON MY REQUEST, THE S/O ATTEMPTED TO KICK OPEN THE DOOR WITH HIS FOOT, AT DOOR KNOB LEVEL, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE WHOLE DOOR AND ATTACHED WALL PULSATED ABOUT 1 1/2'. FOR ALMOST 1 HR (UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO LNDG), SEVERAL PAX AND MYSELF WERE ENGAGED IN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH EVERYTHING AVAILABLE TO US--SMALL POCKET KNIVES, NAIL FILES, SMALL SCREWDRIVERS, AND EVEN A CHURCH KEY. THE ALTERNATIVE WAS TO HAVE THE S/O USE THE FIRE AXE TO CHOP DOWN THE ENTIRE DOOR, CAUSING POTENTIAL PANIC TO MANY OF OUR PAX. IN LIGHT OF THE HEAVY EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF BOTH THE COPLT AND F/E, I ELECTED TO LEAVE THE DOOR INTACT, HAVE THE COPLT MAKE THE LNDG FROM THE LEFT SEAT. I BUCKLED MYSELF IN EMPTY PAX SEAT. A SAFE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH 2 WELL QUALIFIED CREW MEMBERS AT THE CTLS. LET ME SAY THAT AS A RESULT OF ALMOST 1 HR OF CONTINUAL FRUSTRATION IN TRYING TO GET THE COCKPIT DOOR OPEN, I INADVERTENTLY OVERLOOKED WRITING UP OUR DOOR LOCK FAILURE IN THE ACFT LOG BOOK ON LNDG IN RIC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 171541: ARRIVED IN FLL. FLT CREW MENTIONED HAVING DIFFICULTIES OPENING COCKPIT DOOR PREVIOUSLY. CHKED DOOR LOCK AND AFTER VERY MINOR ACTION DOOR LOCK OPERATION WAS NORMAL.

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.