Narrative:

First officer went back to use lav and was not able to get cockpit door open to return, requiring me to leave my seat to get door open. New security door very stiff, requiring a lot of strength to open. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain indicated that all the fortified doors are hard to open in-flight. He indicated, on the ground, the doors operate normally. When listed as a maintenance discrepancy, the doors operate normally and are signed off by maintenance. The pilot reported the problem to his chief pilot. The chief pilot requested air carrier engineering to undertake a review of the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CAPT WAS REQUIRED TO LEAVE HIS COCKPIT SEAT, LEAVING NO ONE AT THE ACFT CTLS, IN ORDER TO OPEN THE NEW 'FORTIFIED' COCKPIT DOOR TO LET THE FO BACK INTO THE COCKPIT AFTER A TRIP TO THE LAV.

Narrative: FO WENT BACK TO USE LAV AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET COCKPIT DOOR OPEN TO RETURN, REQUIRING ME TO LEAVE MY SEAT TO GET DOOR OPEN. NEW SECURITY DOOR VERY STIFF, REQUIRING A LOT OF STRENGTH TO OPEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT INDICATED THAT ALL THE FORTIFIED DOORS ARE HARD TO OPEN INFLT. HE INDICATED, ON THE GND, THE DOORS OPERATE NORMALLY. WHEN LISTED AS A MAINT DISCREPANCY, THE DOORS OPERATE NORMALLY AND ARE SIGNED OFF BY MAINT. THE PLT REPORTED THE PROB TO HIS CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT REQUESTED ACR ENGINEERING TO UNDERTAKE A REVIEW OF THE DOOR.

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.