On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN) experienced a minor delay when the pilots were unable to access the cockpit.
After a passenger accidentally locked the flight deck door while attempting to use the restroom during the boarding procedure on Thursday, a Southwest pilot had to enter the cockpit through the right-side window.
During the boarding procedure, as the scheduled pilots were getting ready to board the aircraft, a passenger unintentionally closed the Flight Deck door, which then locked, while passengers and flight attendants were already on board.
Since the pilots had not yet entered the cockpit when the door was accidentally closed, there was no one inside. It is not uncommon for passenger boarding to commence before the pilots arrive, especially on Southwest, as the airline frequently operates “direct” flights with intermediate stops, allowing passengers to remain on the plane without disembarking.
A Southwest pilot was forced to climb through the cockpit window after a passenger accidentally locked the flight deck door as they tried to use the lavatory during boarding. The Sacramento bound flight left 8 minutes late. pic.twitter.com/0dKWgNhPzl
— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) May 26, 2023
