http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/08/30/pilot.lockout.reut/index.html

OTTAWA, Ontario (Reuters) -- The pilot of a Canadian airliner who went to the washroom during a flight found himself locked out of the cockpit, forcing the crew to remove the door from its hinges to let him back in, the airline said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred aboard a flight from Ottawa to Winnipeg on Saturday. The regional jet, capable of carrying 50 people, was operated by Air Canada's Jazz subsidiary.

Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stewart said that with 30 minutes of the flight to go, the pilot went to the washroom, leaving the first officer in charge. But when he tried to get back into the cockpit, the door would not open.

"The door malfunctioned ... this is a very rare occurrence," Stewart said, adding that the crew's decision to remove the door had been in line with company policy.

A report in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper said that for about 10 minutes "passengers described seeing the pilot bang on the door and communicating with the cockpit though an internal telephone, but being unable to open the door."

Stewart said the paper's report was "a bit dramatic" and stressed that at no time had the plane or passengers been in danger. She did not say how many people had been on board.

The story says he left the Co-Pilot in charge, why wouldn't the Co-Pilot just open the door for him?

I think they should start designing planes where theres an entire front section for the Pilots that has a restroom in it. Having them using the public washroom is a security risk. And although I'm not a security nut still it is a problem.

quote:

I think they should start designing planes where theres an entire front section for the Pilots that has a restroom in it. Having them using the public washroom is a security risk. And although I'm not a security nut still it is a problem.

Murray, I've often thought the same thing. How absurd to barricade the pilots into the cockpit if they have to leave to use the restroom anyway, and thus are exposed to some nutty passenger that is sitting there waiting to attack him/her. Why bother? Just ridiculous! Of course designing an aircraft with a special restroom for pilots would cost big bucks, and the whole industry is always trying to cut corners in order to survive.

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Hmmm, what about this then:

Put up a wall right where the cockpit side of the restroom ends and put a sturdy door there that only opens from the cockpuit side. Then keep the normal door there, although fortify it and rig some sort of mechanism that would automatically seal that door when the cockpit side one is opened and the cockpit side door has the same indicator that tells the pilot when a passenger is in the bathroom.

Kind of convoluted, but much cheaper than redesigning the whole plane.

Murray- great idea!

Barbara

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