Narrative:

The aircraft was boarded and ready to close the doors when the 'a' flight attendant called the cockpit. The first officer answered the call and reported to me that the 'a' flight attendant reported that he had trouble closing the 1L door and that the 1L door escape slide had deployed. I went back to the 1L door and discovered the escape slide laying on the ramp below the aircraft in an inflated condition. I called maintenance and soon many supervisors arrived to assess the situation. I spoke to the senior flight attendant and he reported that when trying to close the 1L door it would not close; so he tried again and it would not close; he tried a third time and the door would not close. He then opened the door and the escape slide fell out of its container on to the ramp. (The jetway was still attached to the aircraft.) upon falling to the ramp the slide inflated and ended up in a position under the aircraft just behind the nose gear. At no time was the door in an armed condition. The maintenance supervisor confirmed that the door was not armed and that it appeared that the lacing under the slide container came undone allowing the slide to drop out of its container and onto the ramp. Upon falling the release lanyard was activated and the slide inflated. The 'a' flight attendant filled out a safety report. The crew was then scheduled on another E190 to complete flight. It is unknown to me why the door was binding upon closure and what caused the slide to fall out of its container. Inspect all E190 escape slides on a regular basis. Inform flight attendants not to repeatedly try to close a binding door; but to call the captain if a door binds and for the captain to call maintenance at first sign of a door binding.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB190 SLIDE FELL FROM THE 1L DOOR TO THE RAMP AND INFLATED AFTER A FLT ATTENDANT REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CLOSE THE DOOR.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS BOARDED AND READY TO CLOSE THE DOORS WHEN THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT. THE FO ANSWERED THE CALL AND RPTED TO ME THAT THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT HE HAD TROUBLE CLOSING THE 1L DOOR AND THAT THE 1L DOOR ESCAPE SLIDE HAD DEPLOYED. I WENT BACK TO THE 1L DOOR AND DISCOVERED THE ESCAPE SLIDE LAYING ON THE RAMP BELOW THE ACFT IN AN INFLATED CONDITION. I CALLED MAINT AND SOON MANY SUPVRS ARRIVED TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. I SPOKE TO THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT AND HE RPTED THAT WHEN TRYING TO CLOSE THE 1L DOOR IT WOULD NOT CLOSE; SO HE TRIED AGAIN AND IT WOULD NOT CLOSE; HE TRIED A THIRD TIME AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. HE THEN OPENED THE DOOR AND THE ESCAPE SLIDE FELL OUT OF ITS CONTAINER ON TO THE RAMP. (THE JETWAY WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT.) UPON FALLING TO THE RAMP THE SLIDE INFLATED AND ENDED UP IN A POS UNDER THE ACFT JUST BEHIND THE NOSE GEAR. AT NO TIME WAS THE DOOR IN AN ARMED CONDITION. THE MAINT SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT ARMED AND THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE LACING UNDER THE SLIDE CONTAINER CAME UNDONE ALLOWING THE SLIDE TO DROP OUT OF ITS CONTAINER AND ONTO THE RAMP. UPON FALLING THE RELEASE LANYARD WAS ACTIVATED AND THE SLIDE INFLATED. THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT FILLED OUT A SAFETY RPT. THE CREW WAS THEN SCHEDULED ON ANOTHER E190 TO COMPLETE FLT. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHY THE DOOR WAS BINDING UPON CLOSURE AND WHAT CAUSED THE SLIDE TO FALL OUT OF ITS CONTAINER. INSPECT ALL E190 ESCAPE SLIDES ON A REGULAR BASIS. INFORM FLT ATTENDANTS NOT TO REPEATEDLY TRY TO CLOSE A BINDING DOOR; BUT TO CALL THE CAPT IF A DOOR BINDS AND FOR THE CAPT TO CALL MAINT AT FIRST SIGN OF A DOOR BINDING.

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.