A320 crew found an escape slide that was disarmed after flight at dca.

Attributes
ACN	511343
Time
Date	200105
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	511343
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	511122
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : acft warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Landed aircraft in dca. At gate, noticed left overwing exit 'slides armed' light not illuminated (overwings are always armed). Contacted air carrier maintenance and they contacted contract maintenance to check out the problem. Contract maintenance technician found slide disarm pin engaged. This pin is normally used by maintenance personnel to allow them to open the overwing exits without deploying the slide. The 'slides armed' light was confirmed on at our departure station, so I believe the pin may have not been properly installed by a maintenance technician at an earlier date and eventually worked its way free. We complied with airline write-up procedures and the problem was rectified by the contract technicians. Supplemental information from can 511122: after returning back to departure station, the captain received a call from the maintenance department reporting that the slide on that aircraft had been worked on and was likely not armed during flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW FOUND AN ESCAPE SLIDE THAT WAS DISARMED AFTER FLT AT DCA.

Narrative: LANDED ACFT IN DCA. AT GATE, NOTICED L OVERWING EXIT 'SLIDES ARMED' LIGHT NOT ILLUMINATED (OVERWINGS ARE ALWAYS ARMED). CONTACTED ACR MAINT AND THEY CONTACTED CONTRACT MAINT TO CHK OUT THE PROB. CONTRACT MAINT TECHNICIAN FOUND SLIDE DISARM PIN ENGAGED. THIS PIN IS NORMALLY USED BY MAINT PERSONNEL TO ALLOW THEM TO OPEN THE OVERWING EXITS WITHOUT DEPLOYING THE SLIDE. THE 'SLIDES ARMED' LIGHT WAS CONFIRMED ON AT OUR DEP STATION, SO I BELIEVE THE PIN MAY HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED BY A MAINT TECHNICIAN AT AN EARLIER DATE AND EVENTUALLY WORKED ITS WAY FREE. WE COMPLIED WITH AIRLINE WRITE-UP PROCS AND THE PROB WAS RECTIFIED BY THE CONTRACT TECHNICIANS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM CAN 511122: AFTER RETURNING BACK TO DEP STATION, THE CAPT RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MAINT DEPT RPTING THAT THE SLIDE ON THAT ACFT HAD BEEN WORKED ON AND WAS LIKELY NOT ARMED DURING FLT.

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.