Narrative:

After lengthy review of my actions leading up to the deployment of the slide at door 2L; these are the facts: 1) I was not in a hurry when attempting to disarm the door. 2) I was not distraction by anything or anyone around me. 3) I was not tired; as I had a full night's rest the evening before. 4) the aircraft arrival was on time so there was no pressure to make up time. 5) we were taking the aircraft next leg so I was not in a hurry to deplane. 6) I have been flying the A320 on this route for over 1 yr. 7) the only differences in my normal routine were: a) I normally fly the #4 position which puts me at the front of the aircraft at door 1L for takeoff and landing. B) when I went to disarm door 2L on this flight; I stood up; faced the door; and instead of immediately disarming; I bent down to check for airstairs being brought up to the door. In mexico we quite often get an airstair and deplane through a second door. In making my visual sweep of the outside; I stood up and grabbed the wrong handle. Although I take full responsibility for deploying the slide; I did try to analyze why I made this mistake. The only thing I did different was to make the visual sweep of the outside before going for the handle and this action somehow caused my reaction to grab the emergency handle versus the arm/disarm lever. I would like to pass these thoughts onto you. With the start of the use of double jetways and everyone being used to only viewing at the front door for normal operations I would not want my actions and reactions to be repeated. I would also like to point out that on the A320 the purser is the one to make the disarm/arm announcement and do the viewing. At least in ZZZ this is a very small group of people thus leaving the majority of us not used to preparing for the jetway/airstairs. I realize we are trained on all doors in both emergency and normal operations and I am not making excuses. This is the only reasoning other than I just made a huge mistake that I can deduce after hours and hours of going over what happened at that moment. I would like to add that the slide did not inflate and I did not pull the backup inflation handle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT OPENS CABIN DOOR OF A320 INSTEAD OF MERELY DISARMING IT.

Narrative: AFTER LENGTHY REVIEW OF MY ACTIONS LEADING UP TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SLIDE AT DOOR 2L; THESE ARE THE FACTS: 1) I WAS NOT IN A HURRY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DISARM THE DOOR. 2) I WAS NOT DISTR BY ANYTHING OR ANYONE AROUND ME. 3) I WAS NOT TIRED; AS I HAD A FULL NIGHT'S REST THE EVENING BEFORE. 4) THE ACFT ARR WAS ON TIME SO THERE WAS NO PRESSURE TO MAKE UP TIME. 5) WE WERE TAKING THE ACFT NEXT LEG SO I WAS NOT IN A HURRY TO DEPLANE. 6) I HAVE BEEN FLYING THE A320 ON THIS RTE FOR OVER 1 YR. 7) THE ONLY DIFFERENCES IN MY NORMAL ROUTINE WERE: A) I NORMALLY FLY THE #4 POS WHICH PUTS ME AT THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AT DOOR 1L FOR TKOF AND LNDG. B) WHEN I WENT TO DISARM DOOR 2L ON THIS FLT; I STOOD UP; FACED THE DOOR; AND INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATELY DISARMING; I BENT DOWN TO CHK FOR AIRSTAIRS BEING BROUGHT UP TO THE DOOR. IN MEXICO WE QUITE OFTEN GET AN AIRSTAIR AND DEPLANE THROUGH A SECOND DOOR. IN MAKING MY VISUAL SWEEP OF THE OUTSIDE; I STOOD UP AND GRABBED THE WRONG HANDLE. ALTHOUGH I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEPLOYING THE SLIDE; I DID TRY TO ANALYZE WHY I MADE THIS MISTAKE. THE ONLY THING I DID DIFFERENT WAS TO MAKE THE VISUAL SWEEP OF THE OUTSIDE BEFORE GOING FOR THE HANDLE AND THIS ACTION SOMEHOW CAUSED MY REACTION TO GRAB THE EMER HANDLE VERSUS THE ARM/DISARM LEVER. I WOULD LIKE TO PASS THESE THOUGHTS ONTO YOU. WITH THE START OF THE USE OF DOUBLE JETWAYS AND EVERYONE BEING USED TO ONLY VIEWING AT THE FRONT DOOR FOR NORMAL OPS I WOULD NOT WANT MY ACTIONS AND REACTIONS TO BE REPEATED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT ON THE A320 THE PURSER IS THE ONE TO MAKE THE DISARM/ARM ANNOUNCEMENT AND DO THE VIEWING. AT LEAST IN ZZZ THIS IS A VERY SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE THUS LEAVING THE MAJORITY OF US NOT USED TO PREPARING FOR THE JETWAY/AIRSTAIRS. I REALIZE WE ARE TRAINED ON ALL DOORS IN BOTH EMER AND NORMAL OPS AND I AM NOT MAKING EXCUSES. THIS IS THE ONLY REASONING OTHER THAN I JUST MADE A HUGE MISTAKE THAT I CAN DEDUCE AFTER HRS AND HRS OF GOING OVER WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT MOMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE SLIDE DID NOT INFLATE AND I DID NOT PULL THE BACKUP INFLATION HANDLE.

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.