Narrative:

On arrival at gate at lax, B-737 forward entry door was almost impossible to open. Jostling components both inside and outside the door finally freed it and allowed normal passenger deplaning. Prior to boarding the oncoming passenger, I had station operations get contract maintenance out for a look. This gentleman early on determined that a component (1 of 3) in the lower (folding) section of the entry door had broken and would not perform its normal function of opening the door smoothly unless the lower section was first manually folded into position from outside the door. Obviously unsuitable for passenger, we initiated a conference call to our company maintenance and dispatch to discuss the problem. It was quickly decided that a part would be sent over from 1 station away (1 plus 15 flight) and the door would be repaired. The crew was told to stay with the aircraft (a round trip would be canceled to allow time for repair). The contract maintenance man was going off shift, and our operations was told to call contract again when the part arrived. After about an hour wait, the decision was made to ferry the aircraft to oak and have our own maintenance fix it there. The dispatcher and I quickly discussed whether the plane was airworthy, and I saw no problem since we weren't carrying passenger and the only persons aboard (2 pilots, 3 flight attendants) were trained in use of evacuate/evacuation doors. I briefed the flight attendants to ignore that exit door should any problem requiring evacuate/evacuation ensue. When the release arrived, it had no mention first officer any deferred items (I had not entered it in the logbook because the maintenance guy had departed) nor was it accompanied by a ferry permit. In the rapidly changing series of events, it never crossed my mind to ask. I got caught up in the mayhem of hurry to help the company, and completely forgot one of my responsibilities. Though the flight was uneventful and the proper write-up went in the book on arrival in oak, I'd have felt much better had I done it legally and correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG FERRY FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT PROPER MAINT RELEASE BY A RECORD IN THE FLT LOGBOOK OR THE APPROPRIATE MAINT DISCREPANCY NOTED IN THE FLT DISPATCH.

Narrative: ON ARR AT GATE AT LAX, B-737 FORWARD ENTRY DOOR WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN. JOSTLING COMPONENTS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE DOOR FINALLY FREED IT AND ALLOWED NORMAL PAX DEPLANING. PRIOR TO BOARDING THE ONCOMING PAX, I HAD STATION OPS GET CONTRACT MAINT OUT FOR A LOOK. THIS GENTLEMAN EARLY ON DETERMINED THAT A COMPONENT (1 OF 3) IN THE LOWER (FOLDING) SECTION OF THE ENTRY DOOR HAD BROKEN AND WOULD NOT PERFORM ITS NORMAL FUNCTION OF OPENING THE DOOR SMOOTHLY UNLESS THE LOWER SECTION WAS FIRST MANUALLY FOLDED INTO POS FROM OUTSIDE THE DOOR. OBVIOUSLY UNSUITABLE FOR PAX, WE INITIATED A CONFERENCE CALL TO OUR COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH TO DISCUSS THE PROB. IT WAS QUICKLY DECIDED THAT A PART WOULD BE SENT OVER FROM 1 STATION AWAY (1 PLUS 15 FLT) AND THE DOOR WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE CREW WAS TOLD TO STAY WITH THE ACFT (A ROUND TRIP WOULD BE CANCELED TO ALLOW TIME FOR REPAIR). THE CONTRACT MAINT MAN WAS GOING OFF SHIFT, AND OUR OPS WAS TOLD TO CALL CONTRACT AGAIN WHEN THE PART ARRIVED. AFTER ABOUT AN HR WAIT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FERRY THE ACFT TO OAK AND HAVE OUR OWN MAINT FIX IT THERE. THE DISPATCHER AND I QUICKLY DISCUSSED WHETHER THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY, AND I SAW NO PROB SINCE WE WEREN'T CARRYING PAX AND THE ONLY PERSONS ABOARD (2 PLTS, 3 FLT ATTENDANTS) WERE TRAINED IN USE OF EVAC DOORS. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO IGNORE THAT EXIT DOOR SHOULD ANY PROB REQUIRING EVAC ENSUE. WHEN THE RELEASE ARRIVED, IT HAD NO MENTION FO ANY DEFERRED ITEMS (I HAD NOT ENTERED IT IN THE LOGBOOK BECAUSE THE MAINT GUY HAD DEPARTED) NOR WAS IT ACCOMPANIED BY A FERRY PERMIT. IN THE RAPIDLY CHANGING SERIES OF EVENTS, IT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND TO ASK. I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MAYHEM OF HURRY TO HELP THE COMPANY, AND COMPLETELY FORGOT ONE OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES. THOUGH THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE PROPER WRITE-UP WENT IN THE BOOK ON ARR IN OAK, I'D HAVE FELT MUCH BETTER HAD I DONE IT LEGALLY AND CORRECTLY.

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.