Narrative:

I was deadhdg to sfo on a 737-400 due to an equipment substitution for my 757 which normally operates this flight. As uniformed crew members, the first officer and I put our flight kits and luggage in the belly as crew bags, to be loaded last and to be retrieved by us in sfo. We arrived at sfo about XL30 local time and my first officer and I deplaned after about a hundred passenger left the aircraft. We exited the jetway onto the ramp and retrieved our bags. When I looked into the gate area of our arrival gate we both noticed that no passenger were streaming into the terminal. A quick check back into the jetway determined that the passenger were stacked in the jetway with the rear group not knowing why the whole line did not move. The door to the terminal from the jetway was bolted and locked from both sides. The passenger were stuck for about 10 mins with no way to go. How about an emergency in this situation? I seriously question the safety of sfo pwrs that be who decided to prohibit egress from aircraft to the terminal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he also contacted alpa and his company, plus FAA. There was an investigation and chief pilot informed reporter that this was a rare problem, not the norm. The aircraft was late, there was a change of gate. Ramp personnel came from ramp area and moved the jetway into place then exited via the ramp access. He was unaware that the terminal door was locked. The passenger agents were busy trying to get 3 red eye flts out on time. Somehow awareness of the locked door was overlooked. Reporter admits this is a rare event. FAA requires that all doors be locked at night for security but everyone admits there has to be some accommodation so sits like this will not occur.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DISCOVERS PAX JAMMED IN JETWAY AS DOOR IS LOCKED AS THEY EXIT ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS DEADHDG TO SFO ON A 737-400 DUE TO AN EQUIP SUBSTITUTION FOR MY 757 WHICH NORMALLY OPERATES THIS FLT. AS UNIFORMED CREW MEMBERS, THE FO AND I PUT OUR FLT KITS AND LUGGAGE IN THE BELLY AS CREW BAGS, TO BE LOADED LAST AND TO BE RETRIEVED BY US IN SFO. WE ARRIVED AT SFO ABOUT XL30 LCL TIME AND MY FO AND I DEPLANED AFTER ABOUT A HUNDRED PAX LEFT THE ACFT. WE EXITED THE JETWAY ONTO THE RAMP AND RETRIEVED OUR BAGS. WHEN I LOOKED INTO THE GATE AREA OF OUR ARR GATE WE BOTH NOTICED THAT NO PAX WERE STREAMING INTO THE TERMINAL. A QUICK CHK BACK INTO THE JETWAY DETERMINED THAT THE PAX WERE STACKED IN THE JETWAY WITH THE REAR GROUP NOT KNOWING WHY THE WHOLE LINE DID NOT MOVE. THE DOOR TO THE TERMINAL FROM THE JETWAY WAS BOLTED AND LOCKED FROM BOTH SIDES. THE PAX WERE STUCK FOR ABOUT 10 MINS WITH NO WAY TO GO. HOW ABOUT AN EMER IN THIS SIT? I SERIOUSLY QUESTION THE SAFETY OF SFO PWRS THAT BE WHO DECIDED TO PROHIBIT EGRESS FROM ACFT TO THE TERMINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE ALSO CONTACTED ALPA AND HIS COMPANY, PLUS FAA. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION AND CHIEF PLT INFORMED RPTR THAT THIS WAS A RARE PROB, NOT THE NORM. THE ACFT WAS LATE, THERE WAS A CHANGE OF GATE. RAMP PERSONNEL CAME FROM RAMP AREA AND MOVED THE JETWAY INTO PLACE THEN EXITED VIA THE RAMP ACCESS. HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE TERMINAL DOOR WAS LOCKED. THE PAX AGENTS WERE BUSY TRYING TO GET 3 RED EYE FLTS OUT ON TIME. SOMEHOW AWARENESS OF THE LOCKED DOOR WAS OVERLOOKED. RPTR ADMITS THIS IS A RARE EVENT. FAA REQUIRES THAT ALL DOORS BE LOCKED AT NIGHT FOR SECURITY BUT EVERYONE ADMITS THERE HAS TO BE SOME ACCOMMODATION SO SITS LIKE THIS WILL NOT OCCUR.

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.