What's the point of the automatic and manual switch on the door? Would the cabin get depressurised if you opened it? Could you open it in the first place because of the air pressure outside?
2006-07-08 21:46:53 · 14 answers · asked by spikeydudeuk 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
A passenger cannot open the cabin door in flight. This is because, all cabin doors of the Boeing 747 are plug doors. For those who don't know, a plug door is one which is wider than the body structure opening. So when the door is closed, it rests on pads on both sides of the door frame. There are gates on the top and bottom that rotate closed when the door is latched. These gates are there to seal the opening.
The above explanation may sound a little too technical but basically, the door is tapered like a sink plug. The door frame in the in the aircraft body is also tapered like the sink, so that, you cannot push the plug down through the sink. Once it is inside, you also cannot push the door back out through the hole of the fuselage. Why is it so? Well, this is because the pressurization in the cabin holds it firmly into the doorway. Even though the door opening handle is inside, it is physically impossible to open the door against the pressurization differential load of about 8.5 psi or pounds per square inch.
In addition, there are mechanical door locks that activate automatically when the airspeed exceeds 80 knots just like some of the modern cars. (My car automatically locks all the doors when the speed is more than 38 kph)
For someone to open the door, the Captain has to depressurize the cabin to almost zero pressure differential and speed be reduced to 80 knots and below. This condition only can be satisfied after the aircraft has landed.
So you can relax and not worry about anyone trying to open the door in your next flight!
2006-07-08 21:52:36 · answer #1 · answered by Stars-Moon-Sun 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't open a door inflight. All doors on airliners open inwards first before swinging outwards. The pressure inside the cabin keeps the doors firmly closed when airborn; no additional locks are actually needed. At cruising altitude, the pressure differential is around 8 PSI. This equates to several tons of pressure holding the doors closed, making it impossible to open the door.
The automatic/manual switch is for the emergency escape slide. It is placed in the "automatic" (or "armed" on some aircraft) position prior to takeoff and returned to "manual" (or "disarmed") when arriving at the gate at the destination. When in the automatic or armed position, the emergency escape slide will deploy automatically when the door is opened.
If a door were to be opened at altitude (but keep in mind, this is IMPOSSIBLE) the cabin would depressurize in a couple of seconds.
Forget the Hollywood b/s about seeing half the passengers sucked out and wind blowing around inside the plane for several minutes from the decompression.
Rapid decomp sounds like a very large balloon bursting -- that's exactly what's happening if you think about it. The inside of the aircraft is instantly filled with thick fog; you'll barely see the oxygen masks as they drop from the ceiling. Anyone in the immediate vicinity of the opened door might be sucked out if they weren't belted into their seat, as would any loose papers and maybe some light carry-on luggage, but everyone else would be fine. The outrush of air would be all over in 2 or 3 seconds at most. A number of passengers would experience ruptured eardrums and almost everyone would go deaf temporarily due to the pressure change.
The cockpit would decompress more slowly than the main cabin due to the closed cockpit door. They would have extra time to get their masks on and start emergency procedures. The aircrew would initiate a high-rate decent to 14,000 feet MSL or below where the air is thick enough to sustain life without supplemental oxygen. This is also necessary because the cabin would very quickly cool to ambient temperature, typically -60F at cruising altitude, and a planeload of "peoplesicles" isn't good for PR.
Keep in mind that all of this is extremely unlikley. The doors cannot be opened at altitude. Aircraft are pretty tough and even multiple gunshots through the skin or windows at altitude would not cause rapid decompression, contrary to what Hollywood and TV would have you believe.
2006-07-09 01:34:08 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No i dont think u can. Like u mentioned there will b a pressure difference . Thus only when the pressure is equal (comparatively) , the door can be opened. The manual is there shud the auto get jammed.
2006-07-08 21:55:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Haven't you seen it on TV where they open the airplane door and everything gets sucked out of the cabin door for a few minutes?
2006-07-08 21:53:13 · answer #4 · answered by nannygoat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it would not open . The presure inside and the design of the door prevent a person from opening the door when the aircraft is presurized.
2006-07-09 00:35:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the door did open, There would be a group of Jehovah's Witnesses on the other side wanting to know "Do know Jesus?"
2006-07-22 10:14:27 · answer #6 · answered by yahoooo reject 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO... you can't open the door of a 747 in flight.
2006-07-22 09:58:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because air is blowing outside the that to paralle the pressure would be low. so the door would suddenly .
2006-07-08 21:51:57 · answer #8 · answered by pinaki p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it probarly wont open..but if it did, then you'll be sucked out into the stratosphere. youll be dead before you hit the ground cause of the lack of oxygen up there and the huge gale force winds
2006-07-09 19:55:19 · answer #9 · answered by GEN Gamer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most definately you can because there is almost no pressure outside and all of the pressure is in the pkane but dont dare to do it
2006-07-09 09:27:55 · answer #10 · answered by Banstaman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋