Earlier, I wrote that it is time we stop prohibiting passengers from visiting the cockpit in-flight. But creating a “Dutch door” is not what I had in mind, as passengers experienced on a recent Southwest Airlines flight.
Cockpit Door Pops Off In-Flight “Dutch Door” Style On Southwest Airlines 737
As a Southwest Airlines flight landed in John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, a panel on the cockpit door unexpectedly popped off during landing. It was on Boeing 737 (uh oh!) and it is not clear what prompted the decompression incident.
Recall that when Alaska Airlines 1282 suffered the plugged door incident, the pressure change onboard popped open the (locked) flight deck door. It just swung open.
On older jets, instead of the entire door opening, a panel covering the top half of hte door opens, hence my “Dutch door” comment.
The good news is that this is by design and meant to compensate for sudden pressure changes without hurting vital instruments or occupants. The bad news is that these sorts of things should not happen at all.
It could have been worse…at least the pilot did not have to crawl in through the cockpit window after locking himself out of the cockpit…
If the door fell down while the female pilot was saying to the tower : “I’ll just wait until the check engine light goes off eventually , like the last time ?”
Female pilot was saying to co-pilot : “I bought an electric vehicle because I ran out of gas in my gas car , and I don’t want that to happen again .”
If you’re going to tell a sexist joke, please make sure it’s actually funny. These are just dumb and make you look like a tool.
@wac … +1 . I agree that they are dumb . However , you must admit they are subtle .
Whoops. Another incident. Of course Matt will devolve into his right whinge incel lingo as a response rather than question airline safety with so many well publicised incidents in the last quarter.
It’s not expedient yet for his masters to speak on that.
I don’t think you know what an incel is and nothing about this post was political. You’re projecting or what?
Not sure I completely agree with the notion that it’s not a good thing to generally restrict passengers from the cockpit in flight, much as I would love to do so as a flight sim developer and aviation enthusiast. Jump seat rules are absurdly draconian when it’s possible to adequately vet such a visitor, as long as the visit is on a professional basis.
On the other hand, since it’s in the same vein, I would definitely agree with anyone that would suggest that the paranoia that pervades air travel really needs to drop down a notch or three. Time to get over the “take off your shoes” and similar assorted BS at TSA checkpoints while maintaining the essential level of safety — if we can re-agree on what that is.
As for the Boeing dutch door… with as many 737’s as are in service, Boeing is now going to take a hit for every maintenance incident, no matter how minor, and journalists will rub their hands together in glee at another chance to “justifiably” poke at a giant. Perhaps this piece was intended as humor, but in the end it’s just another shallow bit of commentary riding the negative wave that modern journalism has become.
How hard would it be then for some air rage crazy to kick in the panel ?
@Right this way … +1 .
It would be exceptionally difficult. The panel is designed to blow out, not in. To kick it in would require bending steel.