The door can kill you

[pelmet]

I used to fly a pressurized aircraft that had an outward opening door that would flip downward. Actually, I have flown a few and there are plenty of types like this. This aircraft had an APU and it was not abnormal for it to be operating to heat it up or doing an engine run. I was warned to never open this entry door from the outside if all other doors were closed while the APU or an engine was operating.

This is what happened in Finland last year and the pilot was killed. Best to let someone on the inside open it up in case it is pressurized. Be paranoid.

https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 20180104-0

Now EASA has made recommendations to prevent explosive door openings....

"There have been several occurrences of explosive door openings on parked aeroplanes, resulting
in injuries, including fatalities, to persons inside or outside the aeroplane. The main factor leading
to these occurrences was an inadvertent development of an excessive differential pressure
between the inside and the outside of the aeroplane.

When an aeroplane is parked, cooling or heating of the aeroplane cabin can be provided through
the air-conditioning system powered up by the auxiliary power unit (APU) or an external source of
air (e.g. ground air-conditioning cart) ducted to the aeroplane cabin. Closing all aeroplane doors
helps to reach and maintain the desired temperature. However, it may also result in an undesired
build-up of excessive differential pressure between the cabin and the outside environment, if the
outflow valve is closed. As a result, this may cause an explosive door opening. This may happen
during normal operation of the aeroplane, during maintenance activities, or when conducting
practical training of personnel on the aeroplane on ground. Therefore, operational procedures
must be in place to mitigate this hazard.

Such procedures should ensure that there are always means to release the cabin air pressure
before conditioning the cabin on ground with the APU or an external source, and before opening
the aeroplane door."


"The procedures should include:
 Verifying, if possible, that the outflow valve(s) (component of the cabin pressurisation control system) or any other “external valves”, which should prevent the cabin pressure from building-up (such as the avionics extraction valves), are in the open position and whilst maintenance takes place, a pressure build-up relief mechanism is operated before opening a fuselage door of a pressurised aeroplane.
 Alternatively, ensuring that at least one aeroplane cabin fuselage door remains open, as the flight crew or maintenance personnel may not be able to control the aeroplane’s outflow valve or other “external valve” positions without the APU or an aeroplane engine running.

[co-joe]

That seems like a really dumb design to me.

[goingnowherefast]

I always stand beside the door. Whether it's running or not. That way I get a bruised arm, not a broken head. The "door lowering" mechanism might break too, and then that door is coming down fast. I don't want my head in the way.