<< >> NASA ASRS Report 557673, August 2002

The first officer of an A320 leaves his seat to open the cockpit door for the PIC who had been in the forward lavatory when flight is over grb, wi.

Attributes
ACN	557673
Time
Date	200208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : grb.vortac
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl single value : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	557673
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At cruise, captain got up to use lavatory. Called lead flight attendant to come in to perform door duty while captain absent from cockpit. It was discussed prior to captain leaving cockpit that I, the first officer, would go to the lavatory after captain returned. When captain alerted cockpit he was ready to return to cockpit, I removed my oxygen mask, opened the door and let captain in. This inadvertently left the controls unattended for 5-10 seconds. The autoplt was engaged. I will be more diligent not to leave my seat in the future, even if just swapping seats to go to the lavatory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FO OF AN A320 LEAVES HIS SEAT TO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR FOR THE PIC WHO HAD BEEN IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY WHEN FLT IS OVER GRB, WI.

Narrative: AT CRUISE, CAPT GOT UP TO USE LAVATORY. CALLED LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO COME IN TO PERFORM DOOR DUTY WHILE CAPT ABSENT FROM COCKPIT. IT WAS DISCUSSED PRIOR TO CAPT LEAVING COCKPIT THAT I, THE FO, WOULD GO TO THE LAVATORY AFTER CAPT RETURNED. WHEN CAPT ALERTED COCKPIT HE WAS READY TO RETURN TO COCKPIT, I REMOVED MY OXYGEN MASK, OPENED THE DOOR AND LET CAPT IN. THIS INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE CTLS UNATTENDED FOR 5-10 SECONDS. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. I WILL BE MORE DILIGENT NOT TO LEAVE MY SEAT IN THE FUTURE, EVEN IF JUST SWAPPING SEATS TO GO TO THE LAVATORY.

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.