Narrative:

On nov/wed/95, the first flight was conducted. Following a normal walkaround by both pilots and a system operator, a preflight and first flight ground checks, the engines were started. The recall on the after start checklist showed blank, ie, no messages or anomalies. The airplane was taxied northbound on renton's runway for the usual brake and steering checks. The airplane then did a high speed taxi sbound which was discontinued at 80 KTS. The airplane was then slowed and turned around to face northbound for takeoff. During the turn a 'right wing slide' advisory message appeared on EICAS. The flight analyst went to look at the right wing and a visual inspection showed no deployment of the slide. As it is not unique to see this message on the first flight of a B757, and the usual resolution is to adjust the proximity sensors and target on the exterior slide door, it was elected to continue the flight testing and takeoff. Approximately 3 mins after being airborne, there was an audible thump heard and a vibration felt in the rudder pedals. The airplane was just leveling at 6000 ft and was 250 KTS with the flaps and gear retracted. The airplane had just rolled wings level from a right turn. The airplane position was thought to be just north and slightly east of the east channel bridge as we had just entered IMC. The flight analyst again looked out at the right hand wing and this time observed that the right wing slide had deployed and a large portion had departed the airplane. The flight controls felt normal but the flight testing was discontinued and we elected to return to boeing field, the airplane's next and normal destination. An emergency was not declared nor was it deemed warranted. The airplane was configured early with the flight analyst watching the trailing edge flap extension so that the root of the slide and its attachment did not become entangled in the trailing edge flaps. At each consecutive flap setting, more aileron was required until at flaps 20 degrees there was 4 units of left aileron being used to fly wings level. Since the airplane was being flown at light weights, and even though the airplane was normally controllable, it was elected to land at flaps 20 degrees. On final, priority handling was requested for landing as we did not want to execute a go around. Again an emergency was not declared nor deemed warranted. The landing was normal. On the taxi in, the flaps were left in flaps 20 degrees position as to preclude any damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC TOOK OFF WITH DOOR WARNING LIGHT ON AND R WING EMER EXIT SLIDE BLEW CAME LOOSE FROM AND FELL FROM THE AIRPLANE.

Narrative: ON NOV/WED/95, THE FIRST FLT WAS CONDUCTED. FOLLOWING A NORMAL WALKAROUND BY BOTH PLTS AND A SYS OPERATOR, A PREFLT AND FIRST FLT GND CHKS, THE ENGS WERE STARTED. THE RECALL ON THE AFTER START CHKLIST SHOWED BLANK, IE, NO MESSAGES OR ANOMALIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIED NBOUND ON RENTON'S RWY FOR THE USUAL BRAKE AND STEERING CHKS. THE AIRPLANE THEN DID A HIGH SPD TAXI SBOUND WHICH WAS DISCONTINUED AT 80 KTS. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN SLOWED AND TURNED AROUND TO FACE NBOUND FOR TKOF. DURING THE TURN A 'R WING SLIDE' ADVISORY MESSAGE APPEARED ON EICAS. THE FLT ANALYST WENT TO LOOK AT THE R WING AND A VISUAL INSPECTION SHOWED NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE SLIDE. AS IT IS NOT UNIQUE TO SEE THIS MESSAGE ON THE FIRST FLT OF A B757, AND THE USUAL RESOLUTION IS TO ADJUST THE PROX SENSORS AND TARGET ON THE EXTERIOR SLIDE DOOR, IT WAS ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT TESTING AND TKOF. APPROX 3 MINS AFTER BEING AIRBORNE, THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE THUMP HEARD AND A VIBRATION FELT IN THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE AIRPLANE WAS JUST LEVELING AT 6000 FT AND WAS 250 KTS WITH THE FLAPS AND GEAR RETRACTED. THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST ROLLED WINGS LEVEL FROM A R TURN. THE AIRPLANE POS WAS THOUGHT TO BE JUST N AND SLIGHTLY E OF THE E CHANNEL BRIDGE AS WE HAD JUST ENTERED IMC. THE FLT ANALYST AGAIN LOOKED OUT AT THE R HAND WING AND THIS TIME OBSERVED THAT THE R WING SLIDE HAD DEPLOYED AND A LARGE PORTION HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE. THE FLT CTLS FELT NORMAL BUT THE FLT TESTING WAS DISCONTINUED AND WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO BOEING FIELD, THE AIRPLANE'S NEXT AND NORMAL DEST. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED NOR WAS IT DEEMED WARRANTED. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED EARLY WITH THE FLT ANALYST WATCHING THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP EXTENSION SO THAT THE ROOT OF THE SLIDE AND ITS ATTACHMENT DID NOT BECOME ENTANGLED IN THE TRAILING EDGE FLAPS. AT EACH CONSECUTIVE FLAP SETTING, MORE AILERON WAS REQUIRED UNTIL AT FLAPS 20 DEGS THERE WAS 4 UNITS OF L AILERON BEING USED TO FLY WINGS LEVEL. SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING FLOWN AT LIGHT WEIGHTS, AND EVEN THOUGH THE AIRPLANE WAS NORMALLY CONTROLLABLE, IT WAS ELECTED TO LAND AT FLAPS 20 DEGS. ON FINAL, PRIORITY HANDLING WAS REQUESTED FOR LNDG AS WE DID NOT WANT TO EXECUTE A GAR. AGAIN AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED NOR DEEMED WARRANTED. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. ON THE TAXI IN, THE FLAPS WERE LEFT IN FLAPS 20 DEGS POS AS TO PRECLUDE ANY DAMAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.