Narrative:

I've been teaching recurrent ground school this week. While conducting door drills; I've found two airplanes missing the ring on the bottom release pin for the cockpit door. On a previous occasion; the ring was present; but already pulled into an egg shape. We've been completing training by sacrificing somebody's key ring for the cause since mechanics at the hangar have been unable to come up with a new ring in anything less than an hour. The ring appears to be made of tin. (They always have to be replaced after a training session; and will only stand up to being used a half dozen times.) I suspect that the lower rings are being broken or pulled loose by crew bags being tossed in the doorway during crew changes. As anyone who has removed the door from the hinges can attest; egress is cumbersome at best even when the pull rings on the pins are present. Without the ring; we turn difficult into nearly impossible; and turn the airplane into a fire trap. I suggest checking the condition of the door release pins when you get a new airplane. I'm going to use 'pins' on the acceptance check as a reminder; too. We use to carry extra rings in the spare bulbs kit; but no more; according to maintenance. Getting spare rings back in the bulb kit; checking this item on preflight and LC1/LC2's; and switching to a more durable part all strike me as being good ideas. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the escape door is held in place by two spring loaded release pins that slide in tracks and are held in the locked position. Rings attached to the release pins to assist in overcoming the spring force have been discovered missing on two airplanes during a training session. During a training session when everyone has an opportunity to open the escape door; the release pin rings must be replaced due to distortion and breaking. Without the rings to assist in unlocking; the release pins are difficult to impossible to release. This is a safety item that needs correction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ700 TRAINING CAPT RPTS FINDING COCKPIT ESCAPE DOOR RELEASE PIN RINGS MISSING ON LOWER DOOR RELEASE. PIN RINGS REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE RELEASE PINS.

Narrative: I'VE BEEN TEACHING RECURRENT GND SCHOOL THIS WEEK. WHILE CONDUCTING DOOR DRILLS; I'VE FOUND TWO AIRPLANES MISSING THE RING ON THE BOTTOM RELEASE PIN FOR THE COCKPIT DOOR. ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION; THE RING WAS PRESENT; BUT ALREADY PULLED INTO AN EGG SHAPE. WE'VE BEEN COMPLETING TRAINING BY SACRIFICING SOMEBODY'S KEY RING FOR THE CAUSE SINCE MECHANICS AT THE HANGAR HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO COME UP WITH A NEW RING IN ANYTHING LESS THAN AN HOUR. THE RING APPEARS TO BE MADE OF TIN. (THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO BE REPLACED AFTER A TRAINING SESSION; AND WILL ONLY STAND UP TO BEING USED A HALF DOZEN TIMES.) I SUSPECT THAT THE LOWER RINGS ARE BEING BROKEN OR PULLED LOOSE BY CREW BAGS BEING TOSSED IN THE DOORWAY DURING CREW CHANGES. AS ANYONE WHO HAS REMOVED THE DOOR FROM THE HINGES CAN ATTEST; EGRESS IS CUMBERSOME AT BEST EVEN WHEN THE PULL RINGS ON THE PINS ARE PRESENT. WITHOUT THE RING; WE TURN DIFFICULT INTO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE; AND TURN THE AIRPLANE INTO A FIRE TRAP. I SUGGEST CHKING THE CONDITION OF THE DOOR RELEASE PINS WHEN YOU GET A NEW AIRPLANE. I'M GOING TO USE 'PINS' ON THE ACCEPTANCE CHK AS A REMINDER; TOO. WE USE TO CARRY EXTRA RINGS IN THE SPARE BULBS KIT; BUT NO MORE; ACCORDING TO MAINT. GETTING SPARE RINGS BACK IN THE BULB KIT; CHKING THIS ITEM ON PREFLT AND LC1/LC2'S; AND SWITCHING TO A MORE DURABLE PART ALL STRIKE ME AS BEING GOOD IDEAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ESCAPE DOOR IS HELD IN PLACE BY TWO SPRING LOADED RELEASE PINS THAT SLIDE IN TRACKS AND ARE HELD IN THE LOCKED POSITION. RINGS ATTACHED TO THE RELEASE PINS TO ASSIST IN OVERCOMING THE SPRING FORCE HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED MISSING ON TWO AIRPLANES DURING A TRAINING SESSION. DURING A TRAINING SESSION WHEN EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN THE ESCAPE DOOR; THE RELEASE PIN RINGS MUST BE REPLACED DUE TO DISTORTION AND BREAKING. WITHOUT THE RINGS TO ASSIST IN UNLOCKING; THE RELEASE PINS ARE DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO RELEASE. THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM THAT NEEDS CORRECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.