Narrative:

The winds were reported as being 310 degrees at 35 KTS; gusting to 45 KTS. To operate the main cargo door; the maximum winds are mentioned as 40 KTS in the limitation section of the aom. So I was not about to open the door and exceed the door limitations. A mechanic came up and against my better judgement opened the cargo door anyway. I subsequently asked him to make a notation in the aircraft logbook to that effect; which he did. In the corrective action section he wrote that the winds were directly on the tail of the craft and that they were 44 KTS. I asked for proof (on paper) that this was within the limits that maintenance has in their manuals. When he showed me their manual; it said that winds up to 50 KTS were allowed; but the aircraft 'must' be turned with the nose into the wind. This was directly contradictory to the actual situation and so I believe the limits on the door were exceeded. I felt pressured into flying an airplane of which the limits were knowingly exceeded. Management convinced me of the fact that all I need to check as PIC; is that there are no open write-ups and that a mechanic has signed the aircraft as airworthy on the dispatch log.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LARGE TRANSPORT ACFT TWO ENG FREIGHTER PILOT REPORTS HIS CONCERNS ABOUT MAINT OPENING THE MAIN CARGO DOOR IN WIND CONDITIONS THAT EXCEED THE MAX LIMITATION OF THEIR OPERATIONS MANUAL.

Narrative: THE WINDS WERE RPTED AS BEING 310 DEGS AT 35 KTS; GUSTING TO 45 KTS. TO OPERATE THE MAIN CARGO DOOR; THE MAX WINDS ARE MENTIONED AS 40 KTS IN THE LIMITATION SECTION OF THE AOM. SO I WAS NOT ABOUT TO OPEN THE DOOR AND EXCEED THE DOOR LIMITATIONS. A MECH CAME UP AND AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT OPENED THE CARGO DOOR ANYWAY. I SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED HIM TO MAKE A NOTATION IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK TO THAT EFFECT; WHICH HE DID. IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION SECTION HE WROTE THAT THE WINDS WERE DIRECTLY ON THE TAIL OF THE CRAFT AND THAT THEY WERE 44 KTS. I ASKED FOR PROOF (ON PAPER) THAT THIS WAS WITHIN THE LIMITS THAT MAINT HAS IN THEIR MANUALS. WHEN HE SHOWED ME THEIR MANUAL; IT SAID THAT WINDS UP TO 50 KTS WERE ALLOWED; BUT THE ACFT 'MUST' BE TURNED WITH THE NOSE INTO THE WIND. THIS WAS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTORY TO THE ACTUAL SITUATION AND SO I BELIEVE THE LIMITS ON THE DOOR WERE EXCEEDED. I FELT PRESSURED INTO FLYING AN AIRPLANE OF WHICH THE LIMITS WERE KNOWINGLY EXCEEDED. MGMNT CONVINCED ME OF THE FACT THAT ALL I NEED TO CHK AS PIC; IS THAT THERE ARE NO OPEN WRITE-UPS AND THAT A MECH HAS SIGNED THE ACFT AS AIRWORTHY ON THE DISPATCH LOG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.