Narrative:

We were ferrying a new aircraft from maintenance to phl to put into service. Upon arrival at the gate, I got up and pulled the safety pin from the holder in the door and installed into slot after moving slide arm/disarm lever to disarm. When I pulled the door handle to open doors, the door began to pull out of my hand as slide inflated. Our procedure has a checklist to do for preflting cabin for departure with a flight without flight attendants but not for arrival at gate. In our procedures, a flight attendant is to step into cockpit to confirm on ECAM that the slides on the door page are showing disarmed with captain. Upon arrival at the gate, seatbelt/ped signs are turned off. Obviously, on a flight without flight attendants this is not accomplished and there's not a checklist or procedure for arrival in our book addressing this situation. After gate arrival on ferry flts, I usually jumped out of my seat to go back and disarm all the slides prior to the jetway being put up to aircraft and catering/maintenance vehicles opening doors. I did not confirm slides disarmed on ECAM so I am not sure if it was electronically disarmed prior to me beginning to open door handle. Included this in maintenance write-up so maintenance could check to see if malfunctioning system (new aircraft) prior to putting back into service. If this door is opened from the outside by agent -- even with door slide armed -- it is supposed to not inflate. Fortunately, in this situation, personnel and jetway were not near aircraft and no one was hurt or jeopardized. I had ferried new aircraft back into service 3 or 4 times prior to this incident and had done it the same every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS PARKED ON A GATE AFTER A POSITIONING FERRY HAS DOOR 1 L SLIDE DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY BY THE FLC.

Narrative: WE WERE FERRYING A NEW ACFT FROM MAINT TO PHL TO PUT INTO SVC. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, I GOT UP AND PULLED THE SAFETY PIN FROM THE HOLDER IN THE DOOR AND INSTALLED INTO SLOT AFTER MOVING SLIDE ARM/DISARM LEVER TO DISARM. WHEN I PULLED THE DOOR HANDLE TO OPEN DOORS, THE DOOR BEGAN TO PULL OUT OF MY HAND AS SLIDE INFLATED. OUR PROC HAS A CHKLIST TO DO FOR PREFLTING CABIN FOR DEP WITH A FLT WITHOUT FLT ATTENDANTS BUT NOT FOR ARR AT GATE. IN OUR PROCS, A FLT ATTENDANT IS TO STEP INTO COCKPIT TO CONFIRM ON ECAM THAT THE SLIDES ON THE DOOR PAGE ARE SHOWING DISARMED WITH CAPT. UPON ARR AT THE GATE, SEATBELT/PED SIGNS ARE TURNED OFF. OBVIOUSLY, ON A FLT WITHOUT FLT ATTENDANTS THIS IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED AND THERE'S NOT A CHKLIST OR PROC FOR ARR IN OUR BOOK ADDRESSING THIS SIT. AFTER GATE ARR ON FERRY FLTS, I USUALLY JUMPED OUT OF MY SEAT TO GO BACK AND DISARM ALL THE SLIDES PRIOR TO THE JETWAY BEING PUT UP TO ACFT AND CATERING/MAINT VEHICLES OPENING DOORS. I DID NOT CONFIRM SLIDES DISARMED ON ECAM SO I AM NOT SURE IF IT WAS ELECTRONICALLY DISARMED PRIOR TO ME BEGINNING TO OPEN DOOR HANDLE. INCLUDED THIS IN MAINT WRITE-UP SO MAINT COULD CHK TO SEE IF MALFUNCTIONING SYS (NEW ACFT) PRIOR TO PUTTING BACK INTO SVC. IF THIS DOOR IS OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE BY AGENT -- EVEN WITH DOOR SLIDE ARMED -- IT IS SUPPOSED TO NOT INFLATE. FORTUNATELY, IN THIS SIT, PERSONNEL AND JETWAY WERE NOT NEAR ACFT AND NO ONE WAS HURT OR JEOPARDIZED. I HAD FERRIED NEW ACFT BACK INTO SVC 3 OR 4 TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND HAD DONE IT THE SAME EVERY TIME.

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.