Narrative:

After the 'before start' and 'before pushback' checklists were complete and the jetbridge pulled, clearance was given by the push crew to release the brakes. Brakes were released, and the first officer was just about to call the ramp for push clearance when the push crew called saying, 'the catering truck was behind the aircraft.' within a few seconds, a flight attendant called saying that someone had opened a rear door and the slide had partially deployed. I immediately set the brakes, and communicated with the push crew and the flight attendants, and discovered that the caterers had driven up to the aircraft without any guide men and had opened door 2L while it was armed and without clearance or a 'thumbs up' from the flight attendants. The side pack came out of the case but did not deploy. At no time was any crew member aboard my aircraft made aware that catering was coming to the rear of the aircraft, and the push crew said the same. Operations was called and maintenance brought a lift to door 2L, tried to repack the slide, was unable to, and one was borrowed from another aircraft. Within a few mins, maintenance had the slide pack replaced, a new mrd was sent, and we pushed uneventfully. After a lengthy ATC delay on the ground, we continued uneventfully. No injuries or other damage was reported other than the slide pack. The jetbridge was never returned to the aircraft, and the only door opened was door 2L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CATERING CREW APCHS AND OPENS THE REAR DOOR OF A B737-500, WHICH WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PUSHBACK AND PARTIALLY DEPLOYS THE DOOR SLIDE.

Narrative: AFTER THE 'BEFORE START' AND 'BEFORE PUSHBACK' CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE AND THE JETBRIDGE PULLED, CLRNC WAS GIVEN BY THE PUSH CREW TO RELEASE THE BRAKES. BRAKES WERE RELEASED, AND THE FO WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL THE RAMP FOR PUSH CLRNC WHEN THE PUSH CREW CALLED SAYING, 'THE CATERING TRUCK WAS BEHIND THE ACFT.' WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED SAYING THAT SOMEONE HAD OPENED A REAR DOOR AND THE SLIDE HAD PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. I IMMEDIATELY SET THE BRAKES, AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE PUSH CREW AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND DISCOVERED THAT THE CATERERS HAD DRIVEN UP TO THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY GUIDE MEN AND HAD OPENED DOOR 2L WHILE IT WAS ARMED AND WITHOUT CLRNC OR A 'THUMBS UP' FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE SIDE PACK CAME OUT OF THE CASE BUT DID NOT DEPLOY. AT NO TIME WAS ANY CREW MEMBER ABOARD MY ACFT MADE AWARE THAT CATERING WAS COMING TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT, AND THE PUSH CREW SAID THE SAME. OPS WAS CALLED AND MAINT BROUGHT A LIFT TO DOOR 2L, TRIED TO REPACK THE SLIDE, WAS UNABLE TO, AND ONE WAS BORROWED FROM ANOTHER ACFT. WITHIN A FEW MINS, MAINT HAD THE SLIDE PACK REPLACED, A NEW MRD WAS SENT, AND WE PUSHED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER A LENGTHY ATC DELAY ON THE GND, WE CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE WAS RPTED OTHER THAN THE SLIDE PACK. THE JETBRIDGE WAS NEVER RETURNED TO THE ACFT, AND THE ONLY DOOR OPENED WAS DOOR 2L.

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.