Originally Posted by
kenpimentel
re: cargo doors
The aft tail (at row 40) is separated and open. Is it true if you can get into one cargo bay, you can get into the others? I also think one side of the airplane can be higher than the other and the cargo bays easily cleared.
No the rear cargo and the forward cargo are completely separate. There is the large box section containing the main [centre] fuel tank separating them.
both forward and rear cargo bays have cargo loaded onto ULD pallets/containers so not easy to move and most would probably still be in place as the containers/pallets are locked into floor rails that stop the cargo moving about. Also at the rear of the rear cargo bay is a sloping area called the bulk cargo. This is where loose cargo is typically loaded and just held down under netting, so bank on that breing scattered everywhere.
Cargo bays are typically horrible places to try and walk anyway, even as an able bodied person, I've lost count of how many engineers I've seen have a fall in a cargo bay over the years and get injured. I've attached a photo of a typical Boeing cargo bay [it's from a 747 but the B777 bays are very similar]
Also I've attached a photo showing how narrow access is from the forward cargo bay to the area you would need to get to that would allow you access to the main passenger deck via the [not very large] access hatch, again not really suited to getting injured people through.
Typical Boeing wide body aircraft cargo bay
This is what I meant about limited access from cargo bay to main deck. Where I've drawn the arrow from is the access from cargo into the electronics bay and where I've drawn the arrow upwards is where you would need to get people up and through to get to the main passenger cabin.