Narrative:

The forward cabin door was closed and I called for an on time pushback. At that time the number one F/a came into the cockpit and advised captain that the gate agent had shut the cabin door hard and the handle had become loose and it may be unsafe. Before we pushback back, captain asked if I would go back and see if it was ok. At which I did immediately. Upon reaching the door in question I cycled the door twice and it felt as if all the pins were mating and the seal was in place and checked the door lights in the cockpit were out. Which they were before she entered the cockpit the first time. Again they were out the second time I checked the door. As I was going back to my seat in the cockpit I advised the number 1 F/a that the door handle was loose but it would be ok. In which I smiled at her to give confidence to the passengers that there was no problem with the door. As most of them were looking at us at that time. After returning to my seat I advised the captain that the door handle was loose but ok. We continued the pushback from gate at this time. As we were going through the checklist and starting engines. The number 1 F/a entered the cockpit and said something to us which I never heard because I was getting a clearance to taxi to the runway. But when she left the cockpit, she slammed the door with such force I looked to see if any of the knockout panels had come loose. As we were going through our taxi and before takeoff checklist, the intercom bell started to ring. At first we thought it was a passenger but after three rings the captain told me to pick up on it. I picked up the phone and asked number one F/a what is it. She told me at this time that some of the passengers were upset about the loose handle and asked if we were going to go. She also told me that she thought it was still unsafe. I told the captain about what she had said, he told me that we had checked everything and based on what I told him and no door lights in the cockpit we were going. I told her what he had said. All of this was upsetting our reading of the checklist, communication with the tower, and our traffic watch while taxiing. There was no further talking with the F/a's during the flight. The flight was uneventful to reno. When we were 25 minutes out of reno the captain had me call the station and advise them we would need a mechanic to look at the forward cabin door handle. As we approached gate the cockpit door opened and the number one F/a slammed a form onto the pedestal and saying something like 'this is what I am writing you up for.' then left the cockpit. Again this action by her was upsetting to us as we taxi into the gate just as I was to make my announcement for the people to keep their seats. After reading the parking checklist, the captain got out of his seat first, both F/a's came up to the cockpit and started talking to the captain about the door handle. I stayed in my seat to get the outbound clearance for seattle. This was to be a 25 minute turn around we didn't have much time to talk. The captain said he was to get the paper work for the outbound flight and I was to check the aircraft. After I finished the preflight he met me at the jetway and gave me the flight plan and said get the cockpit set up while he called los angeles for some management advice about what to do about the flight attendant's attitude. At this I went up the jetway to the aircraft and saw the mechanic working on the door handle and asked how it was going. He answered that the three mounting bolts were on by two or three threads and the safety wire was missing that held them. He also told me that it could have been a dangerous situation if the bolts came off because it would have blocked that door. It could not be opened. At which time the flight attendants told me it was my fault for saying the door handle was ok. At which time I told them to both back off of me. They kept it up as I tried to get in the cockpit, hoping to get us out on time. Just as I turned to say something else to them, miss XXX told me at the top of her lungs that I was dangerous and should not be flying airplanes. At that point I informed the agent that was there to take me off the flight. I left the aircraft and found the captain down in operations where I told him what had just happened. I was pretty upset with that last statement that she had said. It took some time for me to cool down. There was no need for statements like that. Emotions were running very high at this point and I did not think I could perform my duties as a first officer safely. After about 30 minutes I talked to captain in management in which I got everything together and told captain I could finish the flight. In which time flight pushback at XB20 for seattle. There was not a thing said between the crew going back except what is required. I would never put our passengers or flight crew in jeopardy to meet those ends. With 23 years and 15000 hours flying I have never seen an action like this before. Supplemental information from acn #88235: the flight proceeded to reno uneventfully, and I had maintenance tighten the door handle and made a log entry. The flight attendants were very angry at myself and the copilot because they said we were being 'unsafe' and did not care about their safety. They said they intended to report us to the airline. Both flight attendants were verbally abusive and created a great deal of distraction which undermined our performance in the cockpit.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAB ON ACR MLG UNHAPPY WITH FLT CREW ACCEPTANCE OF ACFT WITH LOOSE DOOR HANDLE.

Narrative: THE FORWARD CABIN DOOR WAS CLOSED AND I CALLED FOR AN ON TIME PUSHBACK. AT THAT TIME THE NUMBER ONE F/A CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED CAPT THAT THE GATE AGENT HAD SHUT THE CABIN DOOR HARD AND THE HANDLE HAD BECOME LOOSE AND IT MAY BE UNSAFE. BEFORE WE PUSHBACK BACK, CAPT ASKED IF I WOULD GO BACK AND SEE IF IT WAS OK. AT WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY. UPON REACHING THE DOOR IN QUESTION I CYCLED THE DOOR TWICE AND IT FELT AS IF ALL THE PINS WERE MATING AND THE SEAL WAS IN PLACE AND CHECKED THE DOOR LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT WERE OUT. WHICH THEY WERE BEFORE SHE ENTERED THE COCKPIT THE FIRST TIME. AGAIN THEY WERE OUT THE SECOND TIME I CHECKED THE DOOR. AS I WAS GOING BACK TO MY SEAT IN THE COCKPIT I ADVISED THE NUMBER 1 F/A THAT THE DOOR HANDLE WAS LOOSE BUT IT WOULD BE OK. IN WHICH I SMILED AT HER TO GIVE CONFIDENCE TO THE PASSENGERS THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR. AS MOST OF THEM WERE LOOKING AT US AT THAT TIME. AFTER RETURNING TO MY SEAT I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT THE DOOR HANDLE WAS LOOSE BUT OK. WE CONTINUED THE PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT THIS TIME. AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE CHECKLIST AND STARTING ENGINES. THE NUMBER 1 F/A ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND SAID SOMETHING TO US WHICH I NEVER HEARD BECAUSE I WAS GETTING A CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RWY. BUT WHEN SHE LEFT THE COCKPIT, SHE SLAMMED THE DOOR WITH SUCH FORCE I LOOKED TO SEE IF ANY OF THE KNOCKOUT PANELS HAD COME LOOSE. AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR TAXI AND BEFORE TKOF CHECKLIST, THE INTERCOM BELL STARTED TO RING. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS A PASSENGER BUT AFTER THREE RINGS THE CAPT TOLD ME TO PICK UP ON IT. I PICKED UP THE PHONE AND ASKED NUMBER ONE F/A WHAT IS IT. SHE TOLD ME AT THIS TIME THAT SOME OF THE PASSENGERS WERE UPSET ABOUT THE LOOSE HANDLE AND ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO GO. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT SHE THOUGHT IT WAS STILL UNSAFE. I TOLD THE CAPT ABOUT WHAT SHE HAD SAID, HE TOLD ME THAT WE HAD CHECKED EVERYTHING AND BASED ON WHAT I TOLD HIM AND NO DOOR LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT WE WERE GOING. I TOLD HER WHAT HE HAD SAID. ALL OF THIS WAS UPSETTING OUR READING OF THE CHECKLIST, COMMUNICATION WITH THE TWR, AND OUR TFC WATCH WHILE TAXIING. THERE WAS NO FURTHER TALKING WITH THE F/A'S DURING THE FLT. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL TO RENO. WHEN WE WERE 25 MINUTES OUT OF RENO THE CAPT HAD ME CALL THE STATION AND ADVISE THEM WE WOULD NEED A MECHANIC TO LOOK AT THE FORWARD CABIN DOOR HANDLE. AS WE APCHED GATE THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENED AND THE NUMBER ONE F/A SLAMMED A FORM ONTO THE PEDESTAL AND SAYING SOMETHING LIKE 'THIS IS WHAT I AM WRITING YOU UP FOR.' THEN LEFT THE COCKPIT. AGAIN THIS ACTION BY HER WAS UPSETTING TO US AS WE TAXI INTO THE GATE JUST AS I WAS TO MAKE MY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR SEATS. AFTER READING THE PARKING CHECKLIST, THE CAPT GOT OUT OF HIS SEAT FIRST, BOTH F/A'S CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND STARTED TALKING TO THE CAPT ABOUT THE DOOR HANDLE. I STAYED IN MY SEAT TO GET THE OUTBOUND CLRNC FOR SEATTLE. THIS WAS TO BE A 25 MINUTE TURN AROUND WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO TALK. THE CAPT SAID HE WAS TO GET THE PAPER WORK FOR THE OUTBOUND FLT AND I WAS TO CHECK THE ACFT. AFTER I FINISHED THE PREFLT HE MET ME AT THE JETWAY AND GAVE ME THE FLT PLAN AND SAID GET THE COCKPIT SET UP WHILE HE CALLED LOS ANGELES FOR SOME MGMNT ADVICE ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE FLT ATTENDANT'S ATTITUDE. AT THIS I WENT UP THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT AND SAW THE MECHANIC WORKING ON THE DOOR HANDLE AND ASKED HOW IT WAS GOING. HE ANSWERED THAT THE THREE MOUNTING BOLTS WERE ON BY TWO OR THREE THREADS AND THE SAFETY WIRE WAS MISSING THAT HELD THEM. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE BOLTS CAME OFF BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE BLOCKED THAT DOOR. IT COULD NOT BE OPENED. AT WHICH TIME THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD ME IT WAS MY FAULT FOR SAYING THE DOOR HANDLE WAS OK. AT WHICH TIME I TOLD THEM TO BOTH BACK OFF OF ME. THEY KEPT IT UP AS I TRIED TO GET IN THE COCKPIT, HOPING TO GET US OUT ON TIME. JUST AS I TURNED TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE TO THEM, MISS XXX TOLD ME AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS THAT I WAS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE FLYING AIRPLANES. AT THAT POINT I INFORMED THE AGENT THAT WAS THERE TO TAKE ME OFF THE FLT. I LEFT THE ACFT AND FOUND THE CAPT DOWN IN OPERATIONS WHERE I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I WAS PRETTY UPSET WITH THAT LAST STATEMENT THAT SHE HAD SAID. IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR ME TO COOL DOWN. THERE WAS NO NEED FOR STATEMENTS LIKE THAT. EMOTIONS WERE RUNNING VERY HIGH AT THIS POINT AND I DID NOT THINK I COULD PERFORM MY DUTIES AS A F/O SAFELY. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES I TALKED TO CAPT IN MGMNT IN WHICH I GOT EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND TOLD CAPT I COULD FINISH THE FLT. IN WHICH TIME FLT PUSHBACK AT XB20 FOR SEATTLE. THERE WAS NOT A THING SAID BETWEEN THE CREW GOING BACK EXCEPT WHAT IS REQUIRED. I WOULD NEVER PUT OUR PASSENGERS OR FLT CREW IN JEOPARDY TO MEET THOSE ENDS. WITH 23 YEARS AND 15000 HOURS FLYING I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ACTION LIKE THIS BEFORE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN #88235: THE FLT PROCEEDED TO RENO UNEVENTFULLY, AND I HAD MAINT TIGHTEN THE DOOR HANDLE AND MADE A LOG ENTRY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VERY ANGRY AT MYSELF AND THE COPLT BECAUSE THEY SAID WE WERE BEING 'UNSAFE' AND DID NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR SAFETY. THEY SAID THEY INTENDED TO REPORT US TO THE AIRLINE. BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS WERE VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND CREATED A GREAT DEAL OF DISTR WHICH UNDERMINED OUR PERFORMANCE IN THE COCKPIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.