In aircraft certification, there is a design standard that prohibits the installation of doors between passenger compartments. The reason is to provide occupants the best chance of survival after an emergency landing. The technical term is called "egress" - you want to have no obstructions in the aisle, or egress path, to enable rapid evacuation from the aircraft.
On business jets, this is not desirable. VIP clients (or the ultra, high-end VVIP) want privacy. Curtains are one form but so too are interior doors. On many of the aircraft that we certify, we approve an interior door with the use of an exemption to the design requirements. In order to get an exemption, you need to include other design features to provide an alternate level of safety. One such requirement is for the door to be frangible.
Today I (almost) experienced this first hand. As I was conducting my interior evaluation, I had to test one such interior door, to make sure it opens and closes and to check for some other things which I am not at liberty to discuss ;). I closed the door and tried to open. No luck - the door opened about 3-4".
I'm skinny but not that skinny. I tried again, letting the door close fully and then tried opening the door. Same deal - opens 3-4".
Hmm, interesting. This will be a snag... When I get to my iPad on the other side of the door...
I try a third time. No dice. This time I notice that it is the lower part of the door that seems to be jamming - I've heard of this happening before. Ok, maybe I can wiggle/lift/shake the door to get it to close. I try again - no luck, still stick. (Lola should be laughing right now...)
Maybe, if I go fast the door will open. I let the door close and give more force than previously to open. Nopers - still only 3-4" opening.
At this point, I realize this is exactly why the door is frangible - in case the door is jammed from opening fully after an emergency landing. Well, not exactly the reason - we don't expect the door to jam often but maybe because the airplane has had an emergency landing and the fuselage may have deformed, causing the door to release from its latches and close and further become jammed shut.
I try two more times, hoping that miraculously the door opens more and allow me to pass through it to call the aircraft supervisor that there is something wrong. Yes, I was mildly insane - giving the same input and expecting different results. I'm still One Duck Stuck.
These business jets have lots of soundproofing to drown out the ambient noise of the air rushing across the fuselage for many hours. Yelling won't do anything. It's not like there are windows I can crank down either. There is a baggage door that I could open and yell out, but why do that when I can use my iPhone.
I didn't have the aircraft supervisor's phone number but did have someone else's number who would. So I call my contact and explain the predicament I'm in. I think I heard her laugh...
Within two mins, three guys show up on the aircraft and free me. Turns out they were having issues with the door jamming so they knew the trick to free it. They also claim this is the first time this has happened to the - where a Transport Canada or FAA representative were essentially trapped by the door. I joked with them telling the, good thing they showed up, I was about to kick down the door.
All in all, I egress and am safe and sound. I guess you could say that this was a rather elaborate way to have the interior technicians available to test the Overwing exit...
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