Pilot’s Manual
PM-132A
1-5
CABIN ENTRY DOOR
The cabin door is located in the forward left side of the fuselage. The
cabin door is a clamshell style design which consists of an upper door
section which opens upward to form a canopy while open, and a lower
door section with integral steps which opens downward. A retractable
flip step is installed on the lower cabin door which is rotated down to
form the lowest entry step. The cabin door is 30 inches (76 centimeters)
wide and provides normal entrance to and egress from the aircraft. The
upper cabin door also doubles as the left forward emergency exit.
The upper cabin door features handles on both the inside and outside
of the door. The outside upper door handle is recessed and protrudes
slightly from the door skin. Before operating the outside handle the
security keylock must be unlocked and the handle must be first lifted
out from the door, then rotated clockwise into the open position. The
inside upper door handle is readily accessible and can be rotated to lock
or unlock the upper door mechanism. The upper door is equipped with
a pair of gas struts which aid when raising the door. The gas struts will
maintain the door in the open position after it is raised. A key lock is
installed on the outside of the upper door to secure the aircraft from the
outside. Rotating the key lock will prevent the outer upper door handle
mechanism from moving into the open position. The security lock can
be easily overridden from inside the aircraft.
A vent door and locking mechanism is incorporated into the upper
cabin door. If the upper cabin door is not closed with the locking pins
engaged, the vent door will remain open to prevent the airplane from
pressurizing. The vent door is connected to the upper door handle
mechanism through a series of bell cranks and link rods which will
keep the vent door closed while the upper door handle is in the closed
position. As the upper door handle is rotated out of the closed position,
the vent door will open and remain open while the handle is in
transition. When the handle is in the fully open position, the vent door
will close. The vent door will remain closed while the upper cabin door
is open to prevent ice and moisture contamination.
The lower cabin door is equipped with a single locking handle which is
installed in the upper edge of the door as it is viewed in the closed po-
sition. The handle can be lifted out of the recess and rotated forward to
latch the door or aft to unlatch the lower cabin door. Gas struts are in-
stalled on the forward lower door structure to aid in closing and
prevent damage if the door is inadvertently allowed to drop open.
