Narrative:

Intrusion resistant cockpit door (ircd) preflight ok in accordance with door placard. First officer left cockpit to retrieve meal. First officer rang intrusion resistant cockpit door bell from intrusion resistant cockpit door flight deck access system keypad for cockpit re-entry. I selected 'unlocked' on cockpit door lock control switch. It sounded like door unlocked, but first officer was unable to open intrusion resistant cockpit door. I noted a 'lock fail' light illuminated on cockpit door lock control panel while switch in 'unlocked' position. Attempted to unlock door again with same result. First officer tried to gain entry to the cockpit by entering the emergency entry code on the flight deck access system keypad. Ircd flight deck access system keypad lights indicated door unlocked (green light) on every opening attempt. All tones operational. Door still would not open. First officer trapped outside cockpit. Captain only crew member in cockpit. Emergency authority/authorized exercised and emergency declared locally and with assistant chief pilot's office on arrival at destination. I (captain) had to leave seat to unlatch door leaving no pilot physically at controls for less than 10 seconds. (MD11 with autoplt engaged.) it is very difficult to reach door knob with oxygen mask on. Oxygen mask removed to get door open. Intrusion resistant cockpit door flight deck access system disarmed and circuit breaker pulled in accordance with MD11/10 cfm ircd bulletin emergency/abnormal procedures. Rotary dead bolt used for remainder of flight. Cockpit door lock control switch loose. Aircraft written up on arrival. It seems intrusion resistant cockpit door procedures still flawed and safety compromised with 1 pilot in cockpit when/if intrusion resistant cockpit door lock or flight deck access system fails necessitating a brief period of time with no pilot at controls. Flight deck access system normal/off switch needs to be repositioned to where it can be reached from either cockpit seat, ie, on same panel as cockpit door lock switch. Employer places carriage of company jumpseaters and cost ahead of enhanced safety and security. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the air carrier has recently activated the electrical locking system. That is when the troubles began. The captain reported the incident to his chief pilot and submitted a written report to the air carrier flight safety office. To date, the captain has heard nothing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 FO BECAME TRAPPED IN THE CABIN AFTER THE NEW 'FORTIFIED' COCKPIT DOOR REFUSED TO OPEN. THE CAPT HAD TO LEAVE HIS SEAT TO LET THE FO BACK INTO THE COCKPIT, LEAVING NO ONE AT THE CTLS OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR (IRCD) PREFLT OK IN ACCORDANCE WITH DOOR PLACARD. FO LEFT COCKPIT TO RETRIEVE MEAL. FO RANG INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR BELL FROM INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR FLT DECK ACCESS SYS KEYPAD FOR COCKPIT RE-ENTRY. I SELECTED 'UNLOCKED' ON COCKPIT DOOR LOCK CTL SWITCH. IT SOUNDED LIKE DOOR UNLOCKED, BUT FO WAS UNABLE TO OPEN INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR. I NOTED A 'LOCK FAIL' LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON COCKPIT DOOR LOCK CTL PANEL WHILE SWITCH IN 'UNLOCKED' POS. ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK DOOR AGAIN WITH SAME RESULT. FO TRIED TO GAIN ENTRY TO THE COCKPIT BY ENTERING THE EMER ENTRY CODE ON THE FLT DECK ACCESS SYS KEYPAD. IRCD FLT DECK ACCESS SYS KEYPAD LIGHTS INDICATED DOOR UNLOCKED (GREEN LIGHT) ON EVERY OPENING ATTEMPT. ALL TONES OPERATIONAL. DOOR STILL WOULD NOT OPEN. FO TRAPPED OUTSIDE COCKPIT. CAPT ONLY CREW MEMBER IN COCKPIT. EMER AUTH EXERCISED AND EMER DECLARED LOCALLY AND WITH ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE ON ARR AT DEST. I (CAPT) HAD TO LEAVE SEAT TO UNLATCH DOOR LEAVING NO PLT PHYSICALLY AT CTLS FOR LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. (MD11 WITH AUTOPLT ENGAGED.) IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REACH DOOR KNOB WITH OXYGEN MASK ON. OXYGEN MASK REMOVED TO GET DOOR OPEN. INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR FLT DECK ACCESS SYS DISARMED AND CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MD11/10 CFM IRCD BULLETIN EMER/ABNORMAL PROCS. ROTARY DEAD BOLT USED FOR REMAINDER OF FLT. COCKPIT DOOR LOCK CTL SWITCH LOOSE. ACFT WRITTEN UP ON ARR. IT SEEMS INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR PROCS STILL FLAWED AND SAFETY COMPROMISED WITH 1 PLT IN COCKPIT WHEN/IF INTRUSION RESISTANT COCKPIT DOOR LOCK OR FLT DECK ACCESS SYS FAILS NECESSITATING A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME WITH NO PLT AT CTLS. FLT DECK ACCESS SYS NORMAL/OFF SWITCH NEEDS TO BE REPOSITIONED TO WHERE IT CAN BE REACHED FROM EITHER COCKPIT SEAT, IE, ON SAME PANEL AS COCKPIT DOOR LOCK SWITCH. EMPLOYER PLACES CARRIAGE OF COMPANY JUMPSEATERS AND COST AHEAD OF ENHANCED SAFETY AND SECURITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACR HAS RECENTLY ACTIVATED THE ELECTRICAL LOCKING SYS. THAT IS WHEN THE TROUBLES BEGAN. THE CAPT RPTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS CHIEF PLT AND SUBMITTED A WRITTEN RPT TO THE ACR FLT SAFETY OFFICE. TO DATE, THE CAPT HAS HEARD NOTHING.

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.