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Southwest Flight Takes Off with Door Wide Open
"On your next flight, should you look out the window and make sure your plane's door is closed before the flight leaves? ABC News reports that a Southwest flight from Houston to Dallas took off with a cargo door open." (www.smartertravel.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I cannot visualize that door just not being latched properly... I have worked on thousands of 737 cargo doors. Next to impossible. If it is not hard latched, there is an indication in the cockpit.. Pressurizing prior to take off would further seal teh door. Coming open in flight is next to impossible. It had to be wide open on take off. if it was just partially opened it would have been bouncing and not considered wide open. This is obviously shared fault of the Ground Crew and flight crew a like.
737 cargo bins open inwards last I checked so you wouldn't be able to see from the cabin. No danger to anyone - more sensationalized reporting.
You are correct, it is a PLUG DOOR as it is called.. I guess they may have had a big problem while trying to pressurize..
I can just hear the CVR now...
FO - For some reason we are not pressurizing
Captain - You had better pull out the QRH.
FO - For some reason we have a Cargo Door Caution, could that be the problem.
Captain - It is probably just a faulty indication.
I can just hear the CVR now...
FO - For some reason we are not pressurizing
Captain - You had better pull out the QRH.
FO - For some reason we have a Cargo Door Caution, could that be the problem.
Captain - It is probably just a faulty indication.
And then back on the ground, "could not duplicate problem..."
Could be. But, it is also possible to defer a Cargo Door light for re-dispatch. Write it up, placard the light 'INOP'. Then, all you need is confirmation (usually be a mechanic) via the ground interphone that the door has been visually checked and verified before each departure.
These procedures are spelled out in each airline's deferred maintenance program documentation.
These procedures are spelled out in each airline's deferred maintenance program documentation.
It is possible... But why did not not notice that they were not pressurizing on the ground before take off.... Doh.. Another sign they missed because they were in a hurry... That is the SWA way... HURRY, HURRY, HURRY, RUSH RUSH RUSH.
You do not pressurise on the ground until 80 knots on the take off run.
You are in correct on that... Boeing 737's start pressurizing once off the gate. I know a lot of planes, even the CRJ does. All boeings that I know of pressurize to 500 feet below field elevation this helps with passenger comfort. The DC-9 and a lot of of McDonald Douglas pre-bankruptcy did not have this feature.
To expand on the previous post:
Here is another siomialr incident, many years ago (1995) also on a B737-300, from the NASA ACRS:
http://www.37000feet.com/report/297286/Flight-crew-operated-aircraft-with-intermittent-cargo-door-open-light
Every MEL item has specific narratives to comply with. Door lights as I mentioned require qualified visual inspection, and of course any abnormal pressurization indications are cause for concern. Conversely, if no pressurization problems, then "Doors" lights usually an switch/sensor fault.
Here is another siomialr incident, many years ago (1995) also on a B737-300, from the NASA ACRS:
http://www.37000feet.com/report/297286/Flight-crew-operated-aircraft-with-intermittent-cargo-door-open-light
Every MEL item has specific narratives to comply with. Door lights as I mentioned require qualified visual inspection, and of course any abnormal pressurization indications are cause for concern. Conversely, if no pressurization problems, then "Doors" lights usually an switch/sensor fault.
One possible scenario could be a door not latched properly, and then appearing slightly open (triggering the warning lights and Master Caution) just after lift-off.
But, all Boeings are pressurized on the ground to 0.125 PSI when pressurization is operated in 'AUTO'(to reduce pressure "bumps" in people's ears); but an inward-opening door can still be operated if need be at that minimal PSID, so I suppose a door could shake loose from its latching mechanism.
Here's a similar (?) NASA ASRS report from 2010:
http://www.37000feet.com/report/877694/B737-700-returned-to-the-departure-airport-when-an-aft-cargo-door