Closing of the Cargo Door
To close the cargo door, the door control switch that is located on the Control Panel is held in the CLOSE position. This provides power to the door actuator, closing the door. Closing the door removes power from the door actuator and provides power to the latch actuator, closing the latches and illuminating the lock light (Green), indicating the door is ready to lock. Then, the external door handle is rotated inward until secured by the trigger. This locks the latches, closes the vent door and turns off the door warning lights in the cockpit. Through the viewing port located just above a latch access door, a visual check of the lock pin can be made to verify that the door is properly locked.
Select here for an illustration of the pre-accident open loop configuration of the door latching/locking mechanism. Select here for an illustration of the post-accident close loop configuration. Select here to see an animation of the post-accident close loop and pre-accident open loop cargo door latching process. Note: This animation has audio. Therefore, ensure that your computer speaker is turned ON. Select Next to see the aft cargo door latching/locking mechanism in the locked position.
