B737 captain reports boarding late arriving meals through the 1L door after the jetway has been remo...

Narrative:

We were just about to push back for departure when I saw a man approach the left side of the aircraft with an 'a' frame ladder on wheels. He put the ladder up to the side of the aircraft; which concerned me so I opened my sliding window. He was banging the side of the aircraft to get the flight attendant to open 1L. When I asked him what he was doing; he idented himself as someone from the catering company; and he stated that he had some meals that he had to board. The jetway was already pulled away from the aircraft as we were about to push. I asked the flight attendant to disarm and open 1L so that she could get the meals handed to her. The flight attendant complied; but the door fully opened and they were unable to close the door from inside the airplane. This led to a ramper having to bring a belt loader up to the side of the aircraft with a guardrail up in order to close 1L. In hindsight; I should not have allowed the meals to be boarded this way as this is not safe. I'm not sure if it is even a legal way of accomplishing this task as we had passenger on the plane and the jetway was not pulled up to the aircraft. If I did violate SOP or FARS; it was certainly unintentional. So I'm writing this report so we can tell caterers to never approach the aircraft like this worker did; in attempt to get a flight attendant to open a door when the jetway is not up to the aircraft. I doubt it's legal to open the door when the jetway is not pulled up to the aircraft. The flight attendant could accidentally blow a slide; and the flight attendant could literally fall to his/her death if they were to slip or fall near the door entry. The caterers should just request that the jetway be returned to the aircraft or forego putting the meals on altogether. I should not have allowed them to open the door and will not in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPTAIN REPORTS BOARDING LATE ARRIVING MEALS THROUGH THE 1L DOOR AFTER THE JETWAY HAS BEEN REMOVED AND THE INABILITY OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER CATERING DEPARTURE.

Narrative: WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO PUSH BACK FOR DEP WHEN I SAW A MAN APPROACH THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT WITH AN 'A' FRAME LADDER ON WHEELS. HE PUT THE LADDER UP TO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT; WHICH CONCERNED ME SO I OPENED MY SLIDING WINDOW. HE WAS BANGING THE SIDE OF THE ACFT TO GET THE FLT ATTENDANT TO OPEN 1L. WHEN I ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING; HE IDENTED HIMSELF AS SOMEONE FROM THE CATERING COMPANY; AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD SOME MEALS THAT HE HAD TO BOARD. THE JETWAY WAS ALREADY PULLED AWAY FROM THE ACFT AS WE WERE ABOUT TO PUSH. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO DISARM AND OPEN 1L SO THAT SHE COULD GET THE MEALS HANDED TO HER. THE FLT ATTENDANT COMPLIED; BUT THE DOOR FULLY OPENED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR FROM INSIDE THE AIRPLANE. THIS LED TO A RAMPER HAVING TO BRING A BELT LOADER UP TO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT WITH A GUARDRAIL UP IN ORDER TO CLOSE 1L. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE MEALS TO BE BOARDED THIS WAY AS THIS IS NOT SAFE. I'M NOT SURE IF IT IS EVEN A LEGAL WAY OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK AS WE HAD PAX ON THE PLANE AND THE JETWAY WAS NOT PULLED UP TO THE ACFT. IF I DID VIOLATE SOP OR FARS; IT WAS CERTAINLY UNINTENTIONAL. SO I'M WRITING THIS RPT SO WE CAN TELL CATERERS TO NEVER APPROACH THE ACFT LIKE THIS WORKER DID; IN ATTEMPT TO GET A FLT ATTENDANT TO OPEN A DOOR WHEN THE JETWAY IS NOT UP TO THE ACFT. I DOUBT IT'S LEGAL TO OPEN THE DOOR WHEN THE JETWAY IS NOT PULLED UP TO THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD ACCIDENTALLY BLOW A SLIDE; AND THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD LITERALLY FALL TO HIS/HER DEATH IF THEY WERE TO SLIP OR FALL NEAR THE DOOR ENTRY. THE CATERERS SHOULD JUST REQUEST THAT THE JETWAY BE RETURNED TO THE ACFT OR FOREGO PUTTING THE MEALS ON ALTOGETHER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO OPEN THE DOOR AND WILL NOT IN THE FUTURE.

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	737282
Time
Date	200705
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	737282
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Cabin Crew Human Performance

B737 captain reports boarding late arriving meals through the 1L door after the jetway has been removed and the inability of the flight attendant to close the door after catering departure.