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A fokker 100 while parked and using ground air-conditioning can pressurize the aircraft preventing the use of doors and escape exits in an emergency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 387003 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199711 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 387003 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We should emphasize more to the fokker crews that if the doors are all closed with the external air still plugged in the airplane will pressurize rapidly. This happened to us here and by the time we realized it we could not even open the cockpit windows to relieve the pressure. This was potentially dangerous in my opinion for 2 reasons. One is the possible hazard presented to someone attempting to open the cabin door from outside. Two would be the complete inability to use any of the emergency exits to egress the aircraft until the pressure is relieved. I think fokker crews should be made more aware of this so that they can be on the lookout for sits where the external air is plugged in early before the passenger door is opened or is left on late after the passenger door is closed so that they can open one of the cockpit windows to avoid any unwanted pressurization of the airplane.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A FOKKER 100 WHILE PARKED AND USING GND AIR-CONDITIONING CAN PRESSURIZE THE ACFT PREVENTING THE USE OF DOORS AND ESCAPE EXITS IN AN EMER.
Narrative: WE SHOULD EMPHASIZE MORE TO THE FOKKER CREWS THAT IF THE DOORS ARE ALL CLOSED WITH THE EXTERNAL AIR STILL PLUGGED IN THE AIRPLANE WILL PRESSURIZE RAPIDLY. THIS HAPPENED TO US HERE AND BY THE TIME WE REALIZED IT WE COULD NOT EVEN OPEN THE COCKPIT WINDOWS TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE. THIS WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION FOR 2 REASONS. ONE IS THE POSSIBLE HAZARD PRESENTED TO SOMEONE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE CABIN DOOR FROM OUTSIDE. TWO WOULD BE THE COMPLETE INABILITY TO USE ANY OF THE EMER EXITS TO EGRESS THE ACFT UNTIL THE PRESSURE IS RELIEVED. I THINK FOKKER CREWS SHOULD BE MADE MORE AWARE OF THIS SO THAT THEY CAN BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SITS WHERE THE EXTERNAL AIR IS PLUGGED IN EARLY BEFORE THE PAX DOOR IS OPENED OR IS LEFT ON LATE AFTER THE PAX DOOR IS CLOSED SO THAT THEY CAN OPEN ONE OF THE COCKPIT WINDOWS TO AVOID ANY UNWANTED PRESSURIZATION OF THE AIRPLANE.
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.