Narrative:

After gate arrival; first officer made arrival PA and the purser went to unarm door 1L and 1R in accordance with flight attendant procedures. She noticed the jetbridge arriving quickly and simultaneously with the catering truck at door 1R. Another flight attendant volunteered to disarm door 1R since the purser would not be able to be at both doors at the same time. The other flight attendant inadvertently raised the 1R door operating handle without disarming the slide arming lever. She caught herself and only raised the door operating handle part way; so the slide did not deploy. We couldn't reengage the handle; though and maintenance had to replace the slide for the next flight. It occurred to me that we should make the arrival PA a 2-PART announcement. The first item is for the flight attendants to disarm the doors; especially the exiting door. If there is a need to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft this close to the jetbridge; there will not be room for the slide to deploy with the bridge adjacent to the aircraft; so it should be disarmed earlier. This would allow the flight attendant time to disarm the other door without rushing or soliciting help to preclude an inadvertent slide deployment; especially if only 1 flight attendant is disarming 2 doors. The second PA is for the passenger to remain seated until the aircraft is parked. This would remain unchanged. I believe the thinking is that when passenger see the flight attendant stand to tend to the door; the passenger will start to stand. But the rush to comply that the flight attendants deal with every leg with our current procedures sets them up for an inadvertent slide deployment with possible injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 RELIEF PILOT SUGGESTS NEW PROCEDURE FOR DISARMING DOORS AT GATE ARRIVAL AFTER UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.

Narrative: AFTER GATE ARR; FO MADE ARR PA AND THE PURSER WENT TO UNARM DOOR 1L AND 1R IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLT ATTENDANT PROCS. SHE NOTICED THE JETBRIDGE ARRIVING QUICKLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE CATERING TRUCK AT DOOR 1R. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT VOLUNTEERED TO DISARM DOOR 1R SINCE THE PURSER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE AT BOTH DOORS AT THE SAME TIME. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT INADVERTENTLY RAISED THE 1R DOOR OPERATING HANDLE WITHOUT DISARMING THE SLIDE ARMING LEVER. SHE CAUGHT HERSELF AND ONLY RAISED THE DOOR OPERATING HANDLE PART WAY; SO THE SLIDE DID NOT DEPLOY. WE COULDN'T REENGAGE THE HANDLE; THOUGH AND MAINT HAD TO REPLACE THE SLIDE FOR THE NEXT FLT. IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE SHOULD MAKE THE ARR PA A 2-PART ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FIRST ITEM IS FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISARM THE DOORS; ESPECIALLY THE EXITING DOOR. IF THERE IS A NEED TO EVAC THE ACFT THIS CLOSE TO THE JETBRIDGE; THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM FOR THE SLIDE TO DEPLOY WITH THE BRIDGE ADJACENT TO THE ACFT; SO IT SHOULD BE DISARMED EARLIER. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE FLT ATTENDANT TIME TO DISARM THE OTHER DOOR WITHOUT RUSHING OR SOLICITING HELP TO PRECLUDE AN INADVERTENT SLIDE DEPLOYMENT; ESPECIALLY IF ONLY 1 FLT ATTENDANT IS DISARMING 2 DOORS. THE SECOND PA IS FOR THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL THE ACFT IS PARKED. THIS WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. I BELIEVE THE THINKING IS THAT WHEN PAX SEE THE FLT ATTENDANT STAND TO TEND TO THE DOOR; THE PAX WILL START TO STAND. BUT THE RUSH TO COMPLY THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DEAL WITH EVERY LEG WITH OUR CURRENT PROCS SETS THEM UP FOR AN INADVERTENT SLIDE DEPLOYMENT WITH POSSIBLE INJURIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.