An MD80 captain reports the MD80 cockpit door is easily broken by slamming the door shut. The weak p...

Narrative:

The cockpit door on the MD80 is easily broken by 'slamming the door shut.' there is a nylon guide that rests at the top of the door that acts as a guide opening and closing. I have had two ...[situations where; with] the flight attendant 'slamming/forcing' the door; the nylon slide has broken. These are not stock items; and in both cases caused a flight cancellation as no part could be flown in for hours. We cannot teach flight attendants to slam one door and not the other. The MD80 door either connects closed and latched by position or it does not. Slamming does not help and leads to the possibility of breaking the door. Without the nylon guide; the door cannot be locked electrically or manually. Flight cancellation results. Lets not teach 'slamming the door.'callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the MD80 cockpit door has a mechanical weak point aggravated by training the cabin attendants to slam the cockpit door when closing. With wear; the nylon guide weakens. One good slam when closing; and the guide breaks and the door cannot be locked electrically or manually. The reporter also related two communications from B757 flight crews on the cabin attendants not closing the door more firmly resulting in the door suddenly swinging open. One on takeoff and the other in flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTS THE MD80 COCKPIT DOOR IS EASILY BROKEN BY SLAMMING THE DOOR SHUT. THE WEAK POINT OF THE DOOR IS A NYLON GUIDE AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR; AND WHEN BROKEN; THE DOOR CANNOT BE LOCKED ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY.

Narrative: THE COCKPIT DOOR ON THE MD80 IS EASILY BROKEN BY 'SLAMMING THE DOOR SHUT.' THERE IS A NYLON GUIDE THAT RESTS AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR THAT ACTS AS A GUIDE OPENING AND CLOSING. I HAVE HAD TWO ...[SITUATIONS WHERE; WITH] THE FLT ATTENDANT 'SLAMMING/FORCING' THE DOOR; THE NYLON SLIDE HAS BROKEN. THESE ARE NOT STOCK ITEMS; AND IN BOTH CASES CAUSED A FLT CANCELLATION AS NO PART COULD BE FLOWN IN FOR HOURS. WE CANNOT TEACH FLT ATTENDANTS TO SLAM ONE DOOR AND NOT THE OTHER. THE MD80 DOOR EITHER CONNECTS CLOSED AND LATCHED BY POSITION OR IT DOES NOT. SLAMMING DOES NOT HELP AND LEADS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BREAKING THE DOOR. WITHOUT THE NYLON GUIDE; THE DOOR CANNOT BE LOCKED ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. FLT CANCELLATION RESULTS. LETS NOT TEACH 'SLAMMING THE DOOR.'CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MD80 COCKPIT DOOR HAS A MECHANICAL WEAK POINT AGGRAVATED BY TRAINING THE CABIN ATTENDANTS TO SLAM THE COCKPIT DOOR WHEN CLOSING. WITH WEAR; THE NYLON GUIDE WEAKENS. ONE GOOD SLAM WHEN CLOSING; AND THE GUIDE BREAKS AND THE DOOR CANNOT BE LOCKED ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. THE RPTR ALSO RELATED TWO COMS FROM B757 FLT CREWS ON THE CABIN ATTENDANTS NOT CLOSING THE DOOR MORE FIRMLY RESULTING IN THE DOOR SUDDENLY SWINGING OPEN. ONE ON TAKEOFF AND THE OTHER IN FLT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	717320
Time
Date	200611
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
ASRS Report	717320
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

An MD80 captain reports the MD80 cockpit door is easily broken by slamming the door shut. The weak point of the door is a nylon guide at the top of the door; and when broken; the door cannot be locked electrically or manually.