Narrative:

About 30 mins out from atl at FL240; my first officer left the flight deck to use the lavatory. We made proper arrangements for him to leave the flight deck. The lead flight attendant entered the flight deck; secured the door and deployed the acm jumpseat by slamming it into position. While deploying the jumpseat a sleeve of the first officer's uniform got caught in the jumpseat's bottom latch. The flight attendant could not free the jumpseat. The first officer called the flight deck to gain access. I told him the jumpseat was jammed; and we were trying to free it. With the autoplt on and radios on the overhead speaker; I got up and tried to free the seat. I used the crash ax to free the seat first by banging the seat with the flat side of the ax and then I used the ax as a lever. I had the flight attendant situation in the first officer's seat so I could maneuver. With a lot of force I was able to free the jumpseat without damaging the seat. I was out of my seat for about 1 min. The flight attendant opened the door and let the first officer in. The first officer was locked out of the flight deck for about 5 mins. We continued uneventfully. I believe that by getting out of my seat; I may have risked the safety of the flight. I figured I could free the seat quickly enough as not to jeopardize the flight; it was a smooth ride. If the seat could not get freed; I still could have landed safely. I also believe that if the flight attendant did not forcefully slam the jumpseat into place; she would not have jammed the seat and would have noticed that something is binding the seat. Our procedures require the flight attendant to stow the acm jumpseat and situation in it when 1 pilot leaves the flight deck. Caution is necessary to prevent this problem from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN THE COCKPIT IN SUPPORT OF FLT CREW'S PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS; CABIN ATTENDANT CATCHES FO'S SLEEVE IN COCKPIT JUMPSEAT LATCH; THUS DISABLING USE OF THE COCKPIT DOOR WHILE FO IS OUT OF THE COCKPIT. CAPTAIN MUST LEAVE HIS SEAT TO DISENGAGE THE RESTRICTION AND RESTORE COCKPIT ACCESS.

Narrative: ABOUT 30 MINS OUT FROM ATL AT FL240; MY FO LEFT THE FLT DECK TO USE THE LAVATORY. WE MADE PROPER ARRANGEMENTS FOR HIM TO LEAVE THE FLT DECK. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE FLT DECK; SECURED THE DOOR AND DEPLOYED THE ACM JUMPSEAT BY SLAMMING IT INTO POS. WHILE DEPLOYING THE JUMPSEAT A SLEEVE OF THE FO'S UNIFORM GOT CAUGHT IN THE JUMPSEAT'S BOTTOM LATCH. THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD NOT FREE THE JUMPSEAT. THE FO CALLED THE FLT DECK TO GAIN ACCESS. I TOLD HIM THE JUMPSEAT WAS JAMMED; AND WE WERE TRYING TO FREE IT. WITH THE AUTOPLT ON AND RADIOS ON THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER; I GOT UP AND TRIED TO FREE THE SEAT. I USED THE CRASH AX TO FREE THE SEAT FIRST BY BANGING THE SEAT WITH THE FLAT SIDE OF THE AX AND THEN I USED THE AX AS A LEVER. I HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT SIT IN THE FO'S SEAT SO I COULD MANEUVER. WITH A LOT OF FORCE I WAS ABLE TO FREE THE JUMPSEAT WITHOUT DAMAGING THE SEAT. I WAS OUT OF MY SEAT FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. THE FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE DOOR AND LET THE FO IN. THE FO WAS LOCKED OUT OF THE FLT DECK FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. I BELIEVE THAT BY GETTING OUT OF MY SEAT; I MAY HAVE RISKED THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I FIGURED I COULD FREE THE SEAT QUICKLY ENOUGH AS NOT TO JEOPARDIZE THE FLT; IT WAS A SMOOTH RIDE. IF THE SEAT COULD NOT GET FREED; I STILL COULD HAVE LANDED SAFELY. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT IF THE FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT FORCEFULLY SLAM THE JUMPSEAT INTO PLACE; SHE WOULD NOT HAVE JAMMED THE SEAT AND WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT SOMETHING IS BINDING THE SEAT. OUR PROCS REQUIRE THE FLT ATTENDANT TO STOW THE ACM JUMPSEAT AND SIT IN IT WHEN 1 PLT LEAVES THE FLT DECK. CAUTION IS NECESSARY TO PREVENT THIS PROB FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.