Narrative:

We blocked in at gate at den. After shutdown and following captain's good-bye PA announcement to the passenger; the flight attendant called from the forward doors 1L/1R and told us the cabin pressure warning lights on doors 1L and 1R were still on. We immediately checked the pressurization page; noting that the outflow valve indication was wide open and cabin pressure was indicating ground elevation in denver. I also cracked open my sliding cockpit window to verify that there was no residual cabin pressure existing. While relaying this information to our flight attendant who was still on the interphone system; she began saying 'the gate agent is opening the door; tell her to stop; tell her not to open the door.' the flight attendant was trying to get the gate agent's attention through the door 1L window and motioning to the agent to stop. The agent proceeded to open the door 1L. My concern is that this gate agent needs to be reminded of the importance of looking for the pressure warning light and not opening the door until the problem is understood. I believe there may be other agents out there as well who have forgotten the importance of this warning light. Had the circumstances been different and the warning light indication accurate; we could have had a mishap with possible fatalities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 MAIN CABIN DOOR ANNUNCIATION 'CABIN PRESSURE' FAILED IN THE ILLUMINATED POS WITH THE CABIN DEPRESSURIZED. AN AGENT OPENED THE DOOR ANYWAY.

Narrative: WE BLOCKED IN AT GATE AT DEN. AFTER SHUTDOWN AND FOLLOWING CAPT'S GOOD-BYE PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX; THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FROM THE FORWARD DOORS 1L/1R AND TOLD US THE CABIN PRESSURE WARNING LIGHTS ON DOORS 1L AND 1R WERE STILL ON. WE IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE PRESSURIZATION PAGE; NOTING THAT THE OUTFLOW VALVE INDICATION WAS WIDE OPEN AND CABIN PRESSURE WAS INDICATING GND ELEVATION IN DENVER. I ALSO CRACKED OPEN MY SLIDING COCKPIT WINDOW TO VERIFY THAT THERE WAS NO RESIDUAL CABIN PRESSURE EXISTING. WHILE RELAYING THIS INFO TO OUR FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS STILL ON THE INTERPHONE SYS; SHE BEGAN SAYING 'THE GATE AGENT IS OPENING THE DOOR; TELL HER TO STOP; TELL HER NOT TO OPEN THE DOOR.' THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS TRYING TO GET THE GATE AGENT'S ATTN THROUGH THE DOOR 1L WINDOW AND MOTIONING TO THE AGENT TO STOP. THE AGENT PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE DOOR 1L. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS GATE AGENT NEEDS TO BE REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING FOR THE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT AND NOT OPENING THE DOOR UNTIL THE PROB IS UNDERSTOOD. I BELIEVE THERE MAY BE OTHER AGENTS OUT THERE AS WELL WHO HAVE FORGOTTEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WARNING LIGHT. HAD THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEEN DIFFERENT AND THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATION ACCURATE; WE COULD HAVE HAD A MISHAP WITH POSSIBLE FATALITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.