MD80 CREW FOUND EVIDENCE OF DELIBERATE COCKPIT TAMPERING.

1999-08 · NASA ASRS report 446958

Date: 1999-08 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-acft-security

Synopsis

MD80 CREW FOUND EVIDENCE OF DELIBERATE COCKPIT TAMPERING.

Narrative

OBJECT LODGED IN CAPT WINDOW FRAME. DURING PREDEP CHKS IN THE COCKPIT; THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN EMER PROCS CHKLIST STUCK IN THE L SIDE OF THE SLIDING CLEARVIEW WINDOW. 1/2 OF THE CHKLIST WAS PROTRUDING OUT THE WINDOW AND THE OTHER HALF WAS INSIDE THE COCKPIT. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN OVERLOOKED SINCE THE JETBRIDGE CURTAIN WAS LOWERED TO THE FUSELAGE AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD HAVE BROKEN OFF AND CREATED A FOD HAZARD OR DAMAGED THE SEAL OF THE WINDOW WERE REAL THREATS. WE BROUGHT THE SAME ACFT IN THE NIGHT BEFORE AND BOTH THE CAPT AND I KNOW WITH CERTAINTY THAT THE CHKLIST WAS NOT IN THE WINDOW WHEN WE LEFT THE COCKPIT AT THE COMPLETION OF THE INBOUND FLT. THE MGR ON DUTY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROB AND ALSO BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT -- YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WAS DONE TO THE ACFT. IF SOMEONE WAS CARELESS ENOUGH OR WORSE -- WILLINGLY DOING THIS TO THE ACFT; IT PUTS US ALL AT RISK. EVERY NOW AND THEN I FIND AN ACFT AFTER AN OVERNIGHT THAT HAS BEEN PLAYED WITH WHERE SWITCHES LIKE THE YAW DAMPER OR CADC ARE IN 'OFF' OR IMPROPER POS AND COKE CANS AND OTHER CLUES THAT SOMEONE HAD BEEN HANGING OUT IN THE COCKPIT OF ACFT WE BROUGHT IN THE NIGHT BEFORE ARE PRESENT. I AM NOT SURE HOW TOUGH IT WOULD BE TO INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT ON OVERNIGHTS; BUT I THINK IT IS A PROB NO MATTER HOW SMALL THAT MAY TURN AROUND AND BITE US ONE DAY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.

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