Narrative:

Chief purser and I boarded MD80 aircraft approximately 40 mins prior to departure. Checked emergency equipment and aircraft familiarization due to the fact the MD80 is not an aircraft that is based at my domicile and my initial training was 14 yrs ago. This has been the only training except for door and window review in recurrent training. During my review the air marshals boarded and began their briefing. Five mins into the briefing the captain boarded and joined briefing. Immediately after the briefing, boarding commenced. The captain was not able to give his briefing due to boarding. At door closure the purser armed 1L door and I armed 1R door and we cross checked. After the safety demonstration I occupied the forward inboard jump seat. Upon arrival the purser made the door arrival announcement and I disarmed 1R door and we crosschecked. The passenger deplaned and we proceeded to the next gate. We were then informed of the slide deployment. We now realize that I had occupied the wrong jump seat. I feel the following were contributing factors: this aircraft is not based at my domicile nor do we ever fly this equipment. Our only ongoing training on equipment are door and window operation during recurrent training. Equipment familiarity and briefing with air marshals took up all time till boarding. The air marshal program is new to us and the information extremely important, our attention was directed and possibly distracted by this procedure. All aircraft based at my domicile have similar jump seat assignments. Due to above distraction we assumed these positions based on our normal procedures on other aircraft assigned to our base. Since this aircraft was substituted for only one flight segment I would like the company either contact us by phone or mail of this fact and make us aware of the different procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FA DID NOT DISARM HER ASSIGNED DOOR UPON ARRIVAL AT THE GATE. THE DOOR SLIDE WAS ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOYED.

Narrative: CHIEF PURSER AND I BOARDED MD80 ACFT APPROX 40 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. CHKED EMER EQUIP AND ACFT FAMILIARIZATION DUE TO THE FACT THE MD80 IS NOT AN ACFT THAT IS BASED AT MY DOMICILE AND MY INITIAL TRNG WAS 14 YRS AGO. THIS HAS BEEN THE ONLY TRNG EXCEPT FOR DOOR AND WINDOW REVIEW IN RECURRENT TRNG. DURING MY REVIEW THE AIR MARSHALS BOARDED AND BEGAN THEIR BRIEFING. FIVE MINS INTO THE BRIEFING THE CAPT BOARDED AND JOINED BRIEFING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BRIEFING, BOARDING COMMENCED. THE CAPT WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE HIS BRIEFING DUE TO BOARDING. AT DOOR CLOSURE THE PURSER ARMED 1L DOOR AND I ARMED 1R DOOR AND WE CROSS CHECKED. AFTER THE SAFETY DEMO I OCCUPIED THE FORWARD INBOARD JUMP SEAT. UPON ARRIVAL THE PURSER MADE THE DOOR ARRIVAL ANNOUNCEMENT AND I DISARMED 1R DOOR AND WE CROSSCHECKED. THE PAX DEPLANED AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT GATE. WE WERE THEN INFORMED OF THE SLIDE DEPLOYMENT. WE NOW REALIZE THAT I HAD OCCUPIED THE WRONG JUMP SEAT. I FEEL THE FOLLOWING WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THIS ACFT IS NOT BASED AT MY DOMICILE NOR DO WE EVER FLY THIS EQUIP. OUR ONLY ONGOING TRNG ON EQUIP ARE DOOR AND WINDOW OPERATION DURING RECURRENT TRNG. EQUIP FAMILIARITY AND BRIEFING WITH AIR MARSHALS TOOK UP ALL TIME TILL BOARDING. THE AIR MARSHAL PROGRAM IS NEW TO US AND THE INFO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, OUR ATTENTION WAS DIRECTED AND POSSIBLY DISTRACTED BY THIS PROC. ALL ACFT BASED AT MY DOMICILE HAVE SIMILAR JUMP SEAT ASSIGNMENTS. DUE TO ABOVE DISTRACTION WE ASSUMED THESE POSITIONS BASED ON OUR NORMAL PROCEDURES ON OTHER ACFT ASSIGNED TO OUR BASE. SINCE THIS ACFT WAS SUBSTITUTED FOR ONLY ONE FLIGHT SEGMENT I WOULD LIKE THE COMPANY EITHER CONTACT US BY PHONE OR MAIL OF THIS FACT AND MAKE US AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT PROCS.

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.