NoisePutty.com

9/11 security concerns went to a new extreme, as a Air Canada pilot locked himself out of the cockpit of the plane he was flying.

The lock out occurred on a trip from Ottawa to Winnipeg on a plane owned by Air Canada’s Jazz subsidiary.

The pilot went to the bathroom with about 30 minutes left in the flight, but couldn’t get back into the cockpit when he returned. Fortunately, the first officer was still in the cockpit.

“The door malfunctioned … this is a very rare occurrence,” said spokeswoman Manon Stewart.
Reports in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper said that for about 10 minutes “passengers described seeing the pilot bang on the door and communicating with the cockpit though an internal telephone, but being unable to open the door.”

The door was finally taken off of its hinges.

Stewart said the Citizen’s report was “a bit dramatic” and stressed the standard company line that at no time had the plane or passengers been in danger, except from the airline’s food (added). She did not state how many people were on the affected flight.