B737-300 flight crew cabin crew neglect to disarm the door slides after aircraft is terminated for e...

Attributes
ACN	699465
Time
Date	200606
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 14400
ASRS Report	699465
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Terminating last flight of a 3-DAY trip at oak. After normal cockpit terminating procedures; exited the aircraft that was met by mechanic. Mechanic said he had the aircraft as the last passenger and flight attendants departed. The first officer and I departed for the lounge. The following morning catering discovered both rear emergency exit doors with the girt bars in the armed position before opening the rear doors. I mistakenly assumed that the flight attendants put the bars up. The mechanic did not catch the bars either. If it was not for a sharp catering crew there could have been a serious injury. The fom states that the captain should check that the bars are up and that there are no passenger in the lavatories prior to leaving a terminating aircraft. I was lucky that there was not an injury to one of our ground folks. I definitely will not be assuming that the flight attendants put the bars up from now on.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW CABIN CREW NEGLECT TO DISARM THE DOOR SLIDES AFTER ACFT IS TERMINATED FOR EVENING.

Narrative: TERMINATING LAST FLT OF A 3-DAY TRIP AT OAK. AFTER NORMAL COCKPIT TERMINATING PROCS; EXITED THE ACFT THAT WAS MET BY MECH. MECH SAID HE HAD THE ACFT AS THE LAST PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS DEPARTED. THE FO AND I DEPARTED FOR THE LOUNGE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING CATERING DISCOVERED BOTH REAR EMER EXIT DOORS WITH THE GIRT BARS IN THE ARMED POS BEFORE OPENING THE REAR DOORS. I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS PUT THE BARS UP. THE MECH DID NOT CATCH THE BARS EITHER. IF IT WAS NOT FOR A SHARP CATERING CREW THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS INJURY. THE FOM STATES THAT THE CAPT SHOULD CHK THAT THE BARS ARE UP AND THAT THERE ARE NO PAX IN THE LAVATORIES PRIOR TO LEAVING A TERMINATING ACFT. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT AN INJURY TO ONE OF OUR GND FOLKS. I DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE ASSUMING THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS PUT THE BARS UP FROM NOW ON.

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.

B737-300 flight crew cabin crew neglect to disarm the door slides after aircraft is terminated for evening.