CRJ Door Question

[Mongolikecandy]

At the risk of asking one of the dumbest questions ever asked on this board...
The main door on the CRJ is not a plug door. Movement of the door handle opens the pressurization flap. So what is keeping a drunk idiot from grabbing the handle and opening, or trying to open the door at altitude? If it isn't possible, what mechanism keeps it from happening? I have looked through manuals that I have and can't find the answer. I have been flying the thing for a couple years but never really thought about it. I am not sure if it was covered in class or not. I know there are people smarter than I on this board so... Thanks -

Mongo

 

[Jack Mehoff]

the 11 tons of air pressure that is on the door when the crj is pressurized. There is no physical way that lever is going to move. Same thing with the latches on the over wing exits

 

[PBRstreetgang]

the 11 tons of air pressure that is on the door when the crj is pressurized. There is no physical way that lever is going to move. Same thing with the latches on the over wing exits

Close,
The pressurization/depressurization flap is tied to the mechanism that opens the door. If the flap is pressurized the mechanisim is locked and prevented from actuating. The key is the pressurization flap, it must have less than .01psi differental pressure to allow door locking/unlocking to occur. thats my story and I am stickin' to it!
PBR

 

[Mongolikecandy]

the 11 tons of air pressure that is on the door when the crj is pressurized. There is no physical way that lever is going to move. Same thing with the latches on the over wing exits

Thanks Jack...I am familiar with the concept of differential pressure. The emer exits are plug doors while the main is not so it isn't quite the same.

PBR- thanks. I figured it had to be something like that but just couldn't find anything about it in any manual I had. Funny how the random questions come up when PCs are coming up.

 

[Hovernut]

Close,
The pressurization/depressurization flap is tied to the mechanism that opens the door. If the flap is pressurized the mechanisim is locked and prevented from actuating. The key is the pressurization flap, it must have less than .01psi differental pressure to allow door locking/unlocking to occur. thats my story and I am stickin' to it!
PBR

I'm not so sure. I was tasked to ferry a CRJ once with a pressurization problem, but we ended up not going since we way overpressurized while taxiing. I think the limit is 0.1psi and we were up to .4 or so and really messing with our ears! We taxied back to the hgr and when I went to open up, WHAM the door popped open and nearly pulled me out with it! I did notice the pins dragging a bit as they were being extracted from the door frame when I lifted the handle. I can't remember if it was a 1st or 2nd generation door.

 

[L1011 Rules!]

Jack Mehoff,

Not really, that only works for a plug type of door....like the over wing exits.....A F/A was killed just a few years ago whe he opened the door on an Airbus on the ground while still slightly pressurized. Thus the reason why we have a limitation on opening the door on the ground while pressurized. While pressurized in most cases it would be impossible to open the door, but with low cabin diff pressure there is not enough pressure on the flap to gaurd against opening the door even while pressurized. It may have enough force to blow someone out and injure or kill them. Hope that helps!

 

["GO AROUND"]

I'm not so sure. I was tasked to ferry a CRJ once with a pressurization problem, but we ended up not going since we way overpressurized while taxiing. I think the limit is 0.1psi and we were up to .4 or so and really messing with our ears! We taxied back to the hgr and when I went to open up, WHAM the door popped open and nearly pulled me out with it! I did notice the pins dragging a bit as they were being extracted from the door frame when I lifted the handle. I can't remember if it was a 1st or 2nd generation door.

Yeah, but if the airplane thinks it's on the ground(wow switches, etc...) I thought the flap mech. didn't cover you. So that's why the on the ground limitation.

 

[Donsa320]

Jack Mehoff,

Not really, that only works for a plug type of door....like the over wing exits.....A F/A was killed just a few years ago whe he opened the door on an Airbus on the ground while still slightly pressurized. Thus the reason why we have a limitation on opening the door on the ground while pressurized. While pressurized in most cases it would be impossible to open the door, but with low cabin diff pressure there is not enough pressure on the flap to gaurd against opening the door even while pressurized. It may have enough force to blow someone out and injure or kill them. Hope that helps!

Re: that Airbus A-300 incident...an interesting read. Lots of blame to spread around

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001212X22314&key=1

DC