Narrative:

I am an A320 captain. On the initial leg; I flew air carrier X from ZZZ1 to ZZZ. The leg to ZZZ was normal in all respects until after shutdown at ZZZ. While doing the parking checklist we got several calls from flight attendant in the back of the aircraft telling us that he had disarmed door 2L and opened the door so that he could introduce fresh air into the aircraft. Upon opening the door; the slide/raft and the large plastic slide/raft cover both had fallen out of the door opening; leaving the uninflated slide/raft hanging from the door opening with the girt bar still attached and the cover on the ground beneath the aircraft. No one on the ground was struck by the cover. I did not notice any abnormal indications on the ECAM door page in the cockpit. Once the passenger were clear; we (both pilots and 2 deadheading pilots who were to fly the aircraft) walked to the back of the aircraft and observed that door 2L was fully opened; the slide arming lever was in the disarm position; and the slide/raft was hanging from the bottom of the door opening with the girt bar still attached. F/a said that he disarmed the door normally and; when he opened the door; the slide cover fell out of the opening to the ground and the slide/raft fell out of the door without inflating. We then went outside and observed the slide/raft hanging from the door opening; partially inflated. The slide pressure gauge was showing low pressure; well into the 'red.' we also noticed the plastic slide/raft cover on the ground under the aircraft and found a small arming/disarming type pin attached to an orange flag on the ground next to the cover. The pin and flag apparently fell off the door and/or slide/raft assembly during the door opening process. I then went to operations and called maintenance control to discuss the situation. Maintenance control got a local maintenance tech to remove the slide/raft (which had subsequently deflated on its own). After several conversations with maintenance control; I left the aircraft in the hands of the captain for the next flight and proceeded to my aircraft for my flight back to ZZZ1. Back at ZZZ1; I had briefed the purser and the 2 other flight attendants to be especially careful to arm/disarm the airbus doors correctly; as I was aware of some recent problems with them. (I mentioned to them that a fellow A320 captain friend of mine had recently had a slide/raft popped by a flight attendant opening the door to introduce fresh air into the aircraft.) I did not specifically tell them not to open the doors; but I was very much surprised when I found out that flight attendant had opened door 2L on his own. The APU was running and providing good cooling throughout the aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT RPTS; WHILE PARKED ON GATE; DOOR 2 LEFT ESCAPE SLIDE AND COVER POPPED OUT OF THE DISARMED DOOR.

Narrative: I AM AN A320 CAPTAIN. ON THE INITIAL LEG; I FLEW ACR X FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ. THE LEG TO ZZZ WAS NORMAL IN ALL RESPECTS UNTIL AFTER SHUTDOWN AT ZZZ. WHILE DOING THE PARKING CHKLIST WE GOT SEVERAL CALLS FROM FLT ATTENDANT IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT TELLING US THAT HE HAD DISARMED DOOR 2L AND OPENED THE DOOR SO THAT HE COULD INTRODUCE FRESH AIR INTO THE ACFT. UPON OPENING THE DOOR; THE SLIDE/RAFT AND THE LARGE PLASTIC SLIDE/RAFT COVER BOTH HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE DOOR OPENING; LEAVING THE UNINFLATED SLIDE/RAFT HANGING FROM THE DOOR OPENING WITH THE GIRT BAR STILL ATTACHED AND THE COVER ON THE GROUND BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT. NO ONE ON THE GND WAS STRUCK BY THE COVER. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY ABNORMAL INDICATIONS ON THE ECAM DOOR PAGE IN THE COCKPIT. ONCE THE PAX WERE CLEAR; WE (BOTH PLTS AND 2 DEADHEADING PLTS WHO WERE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT) WALKED TO THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT AND OBSERVED THAT DOOR 2L WAS FULLY OPENED; THE SLIDE ARMING LEVER WAS IN THE DISARM POSITION; AND THE SLIDE/RAFT WAS HANGING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR OPENING WITH THE GIRT BAR STILL ATTACHED. F/A SAID THAT HE DISARMED THE DOOR NORMALLY AND; WHEN HE OPENED THE DOOR; THE SLIDE COVER FELL OUT OF THE OPENING TO THE GROUND AND THE SLIDE/RAFT FELL OUT OF THE DOOR WITHOUT INFLATING. WE THEN WENT OUTSIDE AND OBSERVED THE SLIDE/RAFT HANGING FROM THE DOOR OPENING; PARTIALLY INFLATED. THE SLIDE PRESSURE GAUGE WAS SHOWING LOW PRESSURE; WELL INTO THE 'RED.' WE ALSO NOTICED THE PLASTIC SLIDE/RAFT COVER ON THE GROUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND A SMALL ARMING/DISARMING TYPE PIN ATTACHED TO AN ORANGE FLAG ON THE GROUND NEXT TO THE COVER. THE PIN AND FLAG APPARENTLY FELL OFF THE DOOR AND/OR SLIDE/RAFT ASSEMBLY DURING THE DOOR OPENING PROCESS. I THEN WENT TO OPERATIONS AND CALLED MAINT CTL TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION. MAINT CTL GOT A LOCAL MAINTENANCE TECH TO REMOVE THE SLIDE/RAFT (WHICH HAD SUBSEQUENTLY DEFLATED ON ITS OWN). AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH MAINT CTL; I LEFT THE AIRCRAFT IN THE HANDS OF THE CAPT FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT AND PROCEEDED TO MY ACFT FOR MY FLT BACK TO ZZZ1. BACK AT ZZZ1; I HAD BRIEFED THE PURSER AND THE 2 OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL TO ARM/DISARM THE AIRBUS DOORS CORRECTLY; AS I WAS AWARE OF SOME RECENT PROBLEMS WITH THEM. (I MENTIONED TO THEM THAT A FELLOW A320 CAPT FRIEND OF MINE HAD RECENTLY HAD A SLIDE/RAFT POPPED BY A FLT ATTENDANT OPENING THE DOOR TO INTRODUCE FRESH AIR INTO THE AIRCRAFT.) I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY TELL THEM NOT TO OPEN THE DOORS; BUT I WAS VERY MUCH SURPRISED WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT FLT ATTENDANT HAD OPENED DOOR 2L ON HIS OWN. THE APU WAS RUNNING AND PROVIDING GOOD COOLING THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT.

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.