B757-200
Flight Attendant Current
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
Flight Attendant's boarded aircraft and found door 2R open. First Officer on board as well; he told us that the cockpit door was locked he could not open it. When asked why 2R was opened he said he didn't know and to 'close it' to which we replied we are not authorized to close the door. I called the CSR and told him that the cockpit door was not opening and 2R was opened. He said he would come right down. He and a Maintenance person arrived. Maintenance closed 2R and tried to open the cockpit door but was unsuccessful. A few more Maintenance people arrived and tried the door but were also unable to open it. Captain arrived and he tried. The door was still not opening. I tried it didn't open. Captain asked for the aircraft power to be turned off so the door would unlock. It still didn't open. I tried my cockpit key and the Captain also tried it. We found that the deadbolt worked as we could hear and feel it and the top portion of the door didn't seem to be a problem but the lower right portion wasn't budging. Several Maintenance personnel tried again to no avail. First Officer said 'I see a delay in our future' and 'They are going to have to take it off its hinges'. Maintenance turned power off another time (or two) but it was still not opening. Finally a Maintenance person pulled on the door and it popped open. After everyone left and we started to board passengers I approached the Captain in the cockpit for a briefing. He told me standard flight information and then added that the problem with the door was that it was 'sticking hard' and he would write it up enroute then told me I should try opening it. I pushed and pushed but it wouldn't open until I body slammed it and it flew open. After telling another Flight Attendant about the door being a 'hard stick' he raised the safety concern of problems trying to access the cockpit in the event of an emergency. I returned to the cockpit and addressed safety concerns with the door; stating that as Purser I am to check on the flight crew in an emergency and that the windows are also my exit in the event my doors are unusable. I also shared my concern that if he was going to write up the door going into [our arrival] then shouldn't it be written up before we left? I verbalized that I recognized it is his decision but repeated that I was uncomfortable with the door being stuck. First Officer was listening and said 'so what is it that you think could happen'. I replied 'a crash could happen' and reiterated that I am to check on them in an evacuation and possibly use the cockpit as an exit. Neither of the pilots addressed my concerns other then to say I just needed to pull very hard on the door. Frustrated I left the cockpit. First Officer followed me out and told me to try the door from the outside which I did several times without success as he kept telling me to 'use some muscle' or 'pull harder'. He appeared very frustrated that I couldn't open it. After several attempts I was finally able to pull it open. It took great effort; much more then normal door operation. He was satisfied; I was not. Just before finishing up boarding First Officer asked me in the galley 'are we good?'. In honesty I told him no; I wasn't comfortable with the door and repeated why I had my concerns. He proceeded to challenge me by asking what I thought could go wrong that the door was in normal operation; even (sarcastically) saying 'I know flight attendant's hear things in your training but you don't have to pre-flight the door'. I reminded him that we are however to have situational awareness. I stated I did not want to argue with him that my job is to voice my concerns about being uncomfortable with the door and the safety issue. Again he asked me if I really thought anything would happen. I told him I did not want to experience a first emergency/evac in 28 years with a problem with the cockpit door that I was being professional and doing my job. I told him that the Captain was going to write up thedoor and he replied that the Captain WAS NOT going to write it up. I told him that the Captain did state it and First Officer said 'I didn't know that I will talk to him about that'. He went into the cockpit we finished boarding; armed doors and I told the pilots the cabin was ready. I pushed the door shut with an effort to ensure it closed properly as it sometimes doesn't and with this particular door I wanted to make sure it did indeed close and lock. I pulled on it to double check. As I was making my PA announcements the Captain flew out of the cockpit and stated to say something but saw I was on the PA and motioned he would wait. He waited in the galley until I finished and then accused me of slamming the door harder then 'usual' and did we have a 'problem'. I said I always push the door shut to ensure it closes and locks. He said ok and returned to the cockpit. Upon arrival Maintenance came on board to fix an audio problem I wrote up during the flight. I did not see any Maintenance personnel address the cockpit door. I informed the outbound flight attendant's of the door problem. The pilots were scheduled to work the outbound flight on the same plane. I do not know if the door was fixed or written up. I was diligent in making sure that I used good communication. I feel strongly that the Captain did not want to address my concerns and the First Officer was saying nothing would happen and therefore the door isn't an issue. He also tried to convince me that the door was operating normally.
B757 Flight Attendant reports a sticking cockpit door that the flight crew does not believe is a serious issue and does not want to take a delay to have repaired.