B737 flight crew had a malfunctioning entry door.

Attributes
ACN	463320
Time
Date	200002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc.airport
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 625
ASRS Report	463320
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

As the head flight attendant was closing the F1 door, she reported to the cockpit that it was difficult to close. I also found the door difficult to close, but it would close and lock securely. I also found a very small piece of metal that seemed to be out of place on the side of the door and reported to the captain that he might want to call maintenance to review the situation. Maintenance arrived and examined the door, realigned the small piece of metal and determined that the door was most likely slightly out of rig. The 2 (#1 and #2) mechanics on the job determined that a little door lubrication might help the situation and help speed up our already late departure. The lube was applied and the head flight attendant was able to open and close the door to her satisfaction as the captain watched. The two determined that the aircraft door was safe and that we were now ready to depart. The mechanic who worked on the door told the captain, myself and the flight attendant that he would immediately document this in the maintenance logs on the maintenance computer and that when we returned from rno, the maintenance staff would further investigate. Upon returning to slc, 4 maintenance mechanics met the aircraft and fixed the problem just as the mechanic had said as we were leaving slc.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC HAD A MALFUNCTIONING ENTRY DOOR.

Narrative: AS THE HEAD FLT ATTENDANT WAS CLOSING THE F1 DOOR, SHE RPTED TO THE COCKPIT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. I ALSO FOUND THE DOOR DIFFICULT TO CLOSE, BUT IT WOULD CLOSE AND LOCK SECURELY. I ALSO FOUND A VERY SMALL PIECE OF METAL THAT SEEMED TO BE OUT OF PLACE ON THE SIDE OF THE DOOR AND RPTED TO THE CAPT THAT HE MIGHT WANT TO CALL MAINT TO REVIEW THE SIT. MAINT ARRIVED AND EXAMINED THE DOOR, REALIGNED THE SMALL PIECE OF METAL AND DETERMINED THAT THE DOOR WAS MOST LIKELY SLIGHTLY OUT OF RIG. THE 2 (#1 AND #2) MECHS ON THE JOB DETERMINED THAT A LITTLE DOOR LUBRICATION MIGHT HELP THE SIT AND HELP SPEED UP OUR ALREADY LATE DEP. THE LUBE WAS APPLIED AND THE HEAD FLT ATTENDANT WAS ABLE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR TO HER SATISFACTION AS THE CAPT WATCHED. THE TWO DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT DOOR WAS SAFE AND THAT WE WERE NOW READY TO DEPART. THE MECH WHO WORKED ON THE DOOR TOLD THE CAPT, MYSELF AND THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY DOCUMENT THIS IN THE MAINT LOGS ON THE MAINT COMPUTER AND THAT WHEN WE RETURNED FROM RNO, THE MAINT STAFF WOULD FURTHER INVESTIGATE. UPON RETURNING TO SLC, 4 MAINT MECHS MET THE ACFT AND FIXED THE PROB JUST AS THE MECH HAD SAID AS WE WERE LEAVING SLC.

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.