Narrative:

We landed uneventfully in chs at approximately XA35 local. The aircraft cleared the runway and all after landing flows and checklists were accomplished. The #1 engine was shut down after its cool down limitation was satisfied. At that point a momentary electrical interruption occurred for unknown reasons. Everything returned to normal within 1 second. Called the flight attendant via the interphone to inform of the situation and possible events that could be experienced (clearance delivery player starting over; etc). She did not answer. We thought she was busy with her after landing announcements. Mins later as we are approaching the gate area I called her again. She answers and I inform her of what happened and she replies that she 'opened the door because she heard the ding.' by the time we realized that the main cabin door had been opened we were parked at the gate and it was too late to stop the aircraft and close the door back up. We were not alerted of this via EICAS message because the #1 engine was shut down. The hydraulics page and electrical page were on the captain's and first officer's respective mfd's. The flight attendant mistakenly heard the interphone chime and thought that was the ok to open the main cabin door. No passenger were in danger since no one was seated in the first 2 rows. I believe the flight attendant was in danger with the main door being open and her jumpseat being in such close proximity. Many flight attendants think that the seat belt sign being extinguished is the signal for the main door to be opened when our procedures call for it only when the sterile light is extinguished (on equipped aircraft). This procedure needs to be taught more thoroughly in flight attendant initial training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB135 FLT ATTENDANT OPENS MAIN CABIN DOOR DURING TAXI IN AFTER HEARING CHIME.

Narrative: WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN CHS AT APPROX XA35 LCL. THE ACFT CLRED THE RWY AND ALL AFTER LNDG FLOWS AND CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AFTER ITS COOL DOWN LIMITATION WAS SATISFIED. AT THAT POINT A MOMENTARY ELECTRICAL INTERRUPTION OCCURRED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL WITHIN 1 SECOND. CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT VIA THE INTERPHONE TO INFORM OF THE SITUATION AND POSSIBLE EVENTS THAT COULD BE EXPERIENCED (CD PLAYER STARTING OVER; ETC). SHE DID NOT ANSWER. WE THOUGHT SHE WAS BUSY WITH HER AFTER LNDG ANNOUNCEMENTS. MINS LATER AS WE ARE APCHING THE GATE AREA I CALLED HER AGAIN. SHE ANSWERS AND I INFORM HER OF WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE REPLIES THAT SHE 'OPENED THE DOOR BECAUSE SHE HEARD THE DING.' BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THAT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR HAD BEEN OPENED WE WERE PARKED AT THE GATE AND IT WAS TOO LATE TO STOP THE ACFT AND CLOSE THE DOOR BACK UP. WE WERE NOT ALERTED OF THIS VIA EICAS MESSAGE BECAUSE THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. THE HYDS PAGE AND ELECTRICAL PAGE WERE ON THE CAPT'S AND FO'S RESPECTIVE MFD'S. THE FLT ATTENDANT MISTAKENLY HEARD THE INTERPHONE CHIME AND THOUGHT THAT WAS THE OK TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. NO PAX WERE IN DANGER SINCE NO ONE WAS SEATED IN THE FIRST 2 ROWS. I BELIEVE THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS IN DANGER WITH THE MAIN DOOR BEING OPEN AND HER JUMPSEAT BEING IN SUCH CLOSE PROX. MANY FLT ATTENDANTS THINK THAT THE SEAT BELT SIGN BEING EXTINGUISHED IS THE SIGNAL FOR THE MAIN DOOR TO BE OPENED WHEN OUR PROCS CALL FOR IT ONLY WHEN THE STERILE LIGHT IS EXTINGUISHED (ON EQUIPPED ACFT). THIS PROC NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT MORE THOROUGHLY IN FLT ATTENDANT INITIAL TRAINING.

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.