A B757-200 captain made some safety suggestions regarding the cockpit door policy at his air carrier...

Attributes
ACN	610932
Time
Date	200403
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmex.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	610932
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Company Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Couple of ideas: when the flight attendants enter the cockpit or leave, the pilots should let them in and let them out. The reason: greater control of the cockpit door opening and closing. If you're letting them out and a threat appears, you're in a position to grab the flight attendant and pull them in or push them out into the cabin. Sounds simple but it's very effective control of the door. If a threat was to throw something at the flight attendant that knocked them out, the likely scenario is they would fall directly on the galley cart in front of them assuring that they knocked themselves out. Most likely, their feet would be in the doorway preventing the door from being closed and we would be in our seats. The other safety suggestion would be to have the federal flight deck officer always answer the door since they are wearing the most effective tool to deal with the threat and the small amount of training they have had may give them a slight advantage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CAPT MADE SOME SAFETY SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE COCKPIT DOOR POLICY AT HIS ACR.

Narrative: COUPLE OF IDEAS: WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS ENTER THE COCKPIT OR LEAVE, THE PLTS SHOULD LET THEM IN AND LET THEM OUT. THE REASON: GREATER CTL OF THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. IF YOU'RE LETTING THEM OUT AND A THREAT APPEARS, YOU'RE IN A POS TO GRAB THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PULL THEM IN OR PUSH THEM OUT INTO THE CABIN. SOUNDS SIMPLE BUT IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE CTL OF THE DOOR. IF A THREAT WAS TO THROW SOMETHING AT THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT KNOCKED THEM OUT, THE LIKELY SCENARIO IS THEY WOULD FALL DIRECTLY ON THE GALLEY CART IN FRONT OF THEM ASSURING THAT THEY KNOCKED THEMSELVES OUT. MOST LIKELY, THEIR FEET WOULD BE IN THE DOORWAY PREVENTING THE DOOR FROM BEING CLOSED AND WE WOULD BE IN OUR SEATS. THE OTHER SAFETY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE FEDERAL FLT DECK OFFICER ALWAYS ANSWER THE DOOR SINCE THEY ARE WEARING THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT AND THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TRAINING THEY HAVE HAD MAY GIVE THEM A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE.

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.