PIC of a B747-200 on a craf operation admits to leaving cockpit door open for passenger cockpit acce...

Attributes
ACN	584929
Time
Date	200306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : edff.artcc
State Reference	FO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : edff.artcc tower : sba.tower
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	B747-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	584929
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was involved in craf (civil reserve air fleet) operations during the months, feb thru jun 2003. During that time, it was commonly accepted by all crews I flew with, and those I spoke with, that we were conducting operations under part 91 of the FAA regulations. During my last flight associated with the craf operation, I discovered under my company's FAA approved operation-specifications that unless annotated on the dispatch release, all operations conducted will be conducted under part 121 of the regulations. As a result of this oversight, I mistakenly allowed the cockpit door to remain unlocked and passenger to enter and exit at will while in-flight. This misunderstanding is a result of the lack of clear communications on the part of flight operations. Granted, with some degree of difficulty, any line pilot involved could have researched and uncovered the pertinent information. But, I believe when non standard operations occur it behooves the chief pilots and fleet capts involved to clearly outline the parameters of the operations. In this case a bulletin and additional language in the release remarks of our flight release would have avoided this misunderstanding.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF A B747-200 ON A CRAF OP ADMITS TO LEAVING COCKPIT DOOR OPEN FOR PAX COCKPIT ACCESS DURING OPS THROUGH FOREIGN AIRSPACE NEAR EDFF ARTCC ZONES, FO.

Narrative: I WAS INVOLVED IN CRAF (CIVIL RESERVE AIR FLEET) OPS DURING THE MONTHS, FEB THRU JUN 2003. DURING THAT TIME, IT WAS COMMONLY ACCEPTED BY ALL CREWS I FLEW WITH, AND THOSE I SPOKE WITH, THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING OPS UNDER PART 91 OF THE FAA REGS. DURING MY LAST FLT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRAF OP, I DISCOVERED UNDER MY COMPANY'S FAA APPROVED OP-SPECS THAT UNLESS ANNOTATED ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE, ALL OPS CONDUCTED WILL BE CONDUCTED UNDER PART 121 OF THE REGS. AS A RESULT OF THIS OVERSIGHT, I MISTAKENLY ALLOWED THE COCKPIT DOOR TO REMAIN UNLOCKED AND PAX TO ENTER AND EXIT AT WILL WHILE INFLT. THIS MISUNDERSTANDING IS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF CLR COMS ON THE PART OF FLT OPS. GRANTED, WITH SOME DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY, ANY LINE PLT INVOLVED COULD HAVE RESEARCHED AND UNCOVERED THE PERTINENT INFO. BUT, I BELIEVE WHEN NON STANDARD OPS OCCUR IT BEHOOVES THE CHIEF PLTS AND FLEET CAPTS INVOLVED TO CLRLY OUTLINE THE PARAMETERS OF THE OPS. IN THIS CASE A BULLETIN AND ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN THE RELEASE REMARKS OF OUR FLT RELEASE WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.

PIC of a B747-200 on a craf operation admits to leaving cockpit door open for passenger cockpit access during operations through foreign airspace near edff ARTCC zones, first officer.