Narrative:

I was the #2 position on a B757 seated at door 2L outboard. Shortly before our preparations for landing I was in the first class galley with the purser. She asked me if I had ever sat at that door before. I told her yes and she said ok. Upon arrival at the gate; the cockpit turned off the seatbelt signs and I released my harness stood up and faced my door. I stared intently at the door focusing on what I would need to do to disarm it. I was waiting to hear the purser over the PA telling us to disarm. As I was standing in front of the door and waiting for her instruction; I saw the jetbridge approaching. I could see it coming closer and closer and continued to stand in front of the door under the assumption that I would be told when to disarm. I saw the gate agent approaching the aircraft door and was bending over slightly with my face at the level of the window waiting to communicate to her that the door was still armed. She never appeared at the window or knocked to ask if it was disarmed. It never crossed my mind to go ahead and disarm the door without being told. Then I saw the gate agent reach for the door; at which point I yelled; 'no; no; no; no; no!' and stepped forward and reached for the arming lever. As I reached out to the door; I saw the lever move to the disarmed position and the door began to swing open. I stepped back to allow the gate agent to enter and then I hear the purser over the PA instructing us to disarm. I crossed to door 2R and disarmed it and the passenger began to deplane. During deplaning; the purser came back to door 2L and we spoke about what had just happened. She asked me if I was aware that I was required to immediately disarm the door once the jetbridge began to approach and to also instruct the other flight attendants to disarm. I told her that I wasn't aware that I had assumed that she would instruct us to disarm when it was time to do so. She told me that when I told her that I had sat at 2L before; she assumed that I knew she was specifically referring to those 2 duties. I assumed that when she asked me if I had sat there before she was asking me if I knew what to say to the gate agent and that I was required to give her the money and paperwork. She told me that if she had known that I was a brand new hire; she would have further reviewed the duties associated with 2L with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED CABIN ATTENDANT FAILS TO DISARM DOOR 2L ON HER B757-200 BEFORE GATE AGENT OPENED IT FROM OUTSIDE.

Narrative: I WAS THE #2 POS ON A B757 SEATED AT DOOR 2L OUTBOARD. SHORTLY BEFORE OUR PREPARATIONS FOR LNDG I WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY WITH THE PURSER. SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD EVER SAT AT THAT DOOR BEFORE. I TOLD HER YES AND SHE SAID OK. UPON ARR AT THE GATE; THE COCKPIT TURNED OFF THE SEATBELT SIGNS AND I RELEASED MY HARNESS STOOD UP AND FACED MY DOOR. I STARED INTENTLY AT THE DOOR FOCUSING ON WHAT I WOULD NEED TO DO TO DISARM IT. I WAS WAITING TO HEAR THE PURSER OVER THE PA TELLING US TO DISARM. AS I WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE DOOR AND WAITING FOR HER INSTRUCTION; I SAW THE JETBRIDGE APCHING. I COULD SEE IT COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND CONTINUED TO STAND IN FRONT OF THE DOOR UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I WOULD BE TOLD WHEN TO DISARM. I SAW THE GATE AGENT APCHING THE ACFT DOOR AND WAS BENDING OVER SLIGHTLY WITH MY FACE AT THE LEVEL OF THE WINDOW WAITING TO COMMUNICATE TO HER THAT THE DOOR WAS STILL ARMED. SHE NEVER APPEARED AT THE WINDOW OR KNOCKED TO ASK IF IT WAS DISARMED. IT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND TO GO AHEAD AND DISARM THE DOOR WITHOUT BEING TOLD. THEN I SAW THE GATE AGENT REACH FOR THE DOOR; AT WHICH POINT I YELLED; 'NO; NO; NO; NO; NO!' AND STEPPED FORWARD AND REACHED FOR THE ARMING LEVER. AS I REACHED OUT TO THE DOOR; I SAW THE LEVER MOVE TO THE DISARMED POS AND THE DOOR BEGAN TO SWING OPEN. I STEPPED BACK TO ALLOW THE GATE AGENT TO ENTER AND THEN I HEAR THE PURSER OVER THE PA INSTRUCTING US TO DISARM. I CROSSED TO DOOR 2R AND DISARMED IT AND THE PAX BEGAN TO DEPLANE. DURING DEPLANING; THE PURSER CAME BACK TO DOOR 2L AND WE SPOKE ABOUT WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO IMMEDIATELY DISARM THE DOOR ONCE THE JETBRIDGE BEGAN TO APCH AND TO ALSO INSTRUCT THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISARM. I TOLD HER THAT I WASN'T AWARE THAT I HAD ASSUMED THAT SHE WOULD INSTRUCT US TO DISARM WHEN IT WAS TIME TO DO SO. SHE TOLD ME THAT WHEN I TOLD HER THAT I HAD SAT AT 2L BEFORE; SHE ASSUMED THAT I KNEW SHE WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THOSE 2 DUTIES. I ASSUMED THAT WHEN SHE ASKED ME IF I HAD SAT THERE BEFORE SHE WAS ASKING ME IF I KNEW WHAT TO SAY TO THE GATE AGENT AND THAT I WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE HER THE MONEY AND PAPERWORK. SHE TOLD ME THAT IF SHE HAD KNOWN THAT I WAS A BRAND NEW HIRE; SHE WOULD HAVE FURTHER REVIEWED THE DUTIES ASSOCIATED WITH 2L WITH ME.

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.