A B767-300 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS ON CLB AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND DIVERSION INITIATED DUE TO DOOR 1L OPENING A SMALL AMOUNT AT THE LOWER SURFACE. ON LNDG; DOOR OPENED 4 INCHES.

Narrative

DURING CLB; DOOR HANDLE 1L SHOT UP AND FLAPPED A LITTLE. A SMALL CRACK APPEARED AT BASE OF DOOR AND AN AUDIBLE NOISE BEGAN INTERMITTENTLY. PURSER CALLED CREW. RELIEF PLT CAME OUT AND ATTEMPTED TO FORCE HANDLE DOWN. I LEFT THE AREA AND INFORMED Y CLASS CREW. EVENTUALLY; IT WAS DECIDED BY CHK AIRMAN TO RETURN TO ZZZZ. ACARS SHOWED THAT WE BLOCKED IN AT FL280! CABIN WAS DEPRESSURIZED. DOOR OPENED ABOUT 4 INCHES. MY JUMPSEAT WAS SEAT X SO I MOVED TO CREW REST SEAT Y SO PURSER COULD MOVE AWAY FROM ADJACENT SEAT TO OPEN DOOR. ACFT REMOVED FROM SVC. THE 1L DOOR; UPON ORIGINAL SCHEDULED DEP; WAS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. AGENT KEPT SLAMMING IT TILL IT EVENTUALLY SHUT. LATER THAT WK; SAME ACFT; ZZZ1-JFK; HAD SAME DIFFICULTY CLOSING. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT FROM ZZZ1 FLT/FERRY WAS ON BOARD. PAX SAW THE ENTIRE EPISODE WITH HANDLE; ETC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PAX AGENT AT THE DEP STATION HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CLOSING THE DOOR AND KEPT OPENING AND SLAMMING THE DOOR CLOSED. THE RPTR SAID ON CLBOUT THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE DOOR OPENED A SMALL AMOUNT AND THE INTERIOR HANDLE MOVED UP FROM THE CLOSED POS. THE RPTR STATED THE PURSER ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE HANDLE DOWN BUT COULD NOT MOVE THE HANDLE. THE RPTR SAID A LOUD SQUEAL WAS COMING FROM THE DOOR. THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT ADVISED THE CABIN CREW A RETURN TO THE FIELD WAS STARTED AND TO STAY AWAY FROM THE DOOR. THE RPTR SAID ON LNDG THE DOOR RAISED UP ABOUT 4 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OTS OVERNIGHT BUT HAS NO INFO ON WHAT MAINT DID TO FIX THE AIRPLANE DOOR.