AN MD-80 CAPT RPTS NEW SECURE COCKPIT DOOR FAILURE DUE TO MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL FAULTS.

Narrative

WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT DINNER TO THE COCKPIT; THE NEW SECURE DOOR GOT STUCK IN THE OPEN POS. REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE THE DOOR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I MADE A PA TO INFORM THE PAX AND ORDERED THAT THEY COULD ONLY LEAVE THEIR SEAT WITH OK FROM FLT ATTENDANT; AND THAT NOT DOING SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A HOSTILE ACT. I HAD AN EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT AND POSITIONED A MALE FLT ATTENDANT ON THE FWD JUMPSEAT NEXT TO THE COCKPIT AND HAD THE EXTRA STATIONED AT HIS NORMAL POS. THE FLT ATTENDANT CONTINUED TO TRY TO CLOSE THE DOOR UNTIL STERILE; ALSO UNSUCCESSFUL. FLT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I HAVE HAD THE NEW IMPROVED DOOR 4 TIMES AND HAVE HAD 3 NOT WORK CORRECTLY. ONE WOULD NOT OPEN AND 2 WOULD NOT CLOSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS IS THE FOURTH INCIDENT OF THE NEW SECURE COCKPIT DOOR FAILURE. THE RPTR SAID IN THE LATEST FAILURE A ROLLER WAS OUT OF A TRACK AND PREVENTED THE DOOR CLOSURE AND REMAINED OPEN THE ENTIRE FLT. THE RPTR STATED THE LAST 3 MD-80 ACFT FLOWN HAD THE NEW SECURE COCKPIT DOOR SWING OPEN WHEN ELECTRICAL PWR WAS SWITCHED FROM GND OR AUX PWR TO ENG PWR. THE RPTR SAID THE DOOR IS HELD LOCKED BY AN ELECTRICAL SOLENOID; WHICH BECOMES DE-ENERGIZED WHEN ELECTRICAL PWR IS SWITCHED ALLOWING THE DOOR TO SWING OPEN.