Narrative:

The flight from sfo to ord diverted to rfd to refuel. The captain and I were communicating over the phone -- could people deplane and if rental car were still open for business. Captain told me to disarm doors. As I made the announcement I noticed the mobile airstairs approaching quickly, more so than normally. The 1ST announcement did not go through from the floor. I made another announcement and grabbed the door handle -- cracking before realizing. I quickly pushed the door back down and disarmed -- but the power assist took over and the slide inflated. No one was injured. Then the slide deflated, flight attendant #2 manned my door while I reported to the captain. She never saw the slide completely inflated. By the time we deplaned the slide raft was just a gray limp material dangling from the plane door at 1L. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that flight had to deviate due to fuel/WX at ord. Cabin attendant was aware of airstairs approaching but was confused by the PIC's order to disarm doors, due to passenger onboard and refueling regulations that apply in this situation. Then her PA announcement to communicate to other cabin attendants to disarm doors did not transmit. Reporter suggests that the armed position on the airbus passenger entry door be covered with a colored strip to differentiate the arm/disarm position of the handle. Slide inflated partially and lodged between the airstairs and aircraft floor then quickly deflated without injury.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARKED ON RAMP ABOARD A320, PAX DOOR SLIDE INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED, THEN DEFLATED.

Narrative: THE FLT FROM SFO TO ORD DIVERTED TO RFD TO REFUEL. THE CAPT AND I WERE COMMUNICATING OVER THE PHONE -- COULD PEOPLE DEPLANE AND IF RENTAL CAR WERE STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS. CAPT TOLD ME TO DISARM DOORS. AS I MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT I NOTICED THE MOBILE AIRSTAIRS APCHING QUICKLY, MORE SO THAN NORMALLY. THE 1ST ANNOUNCEMENT DID NOT GO THROUGH FROM THE FLOOR. I MADE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT AND GRABBED THE DOOR HANDLE -- CRACKING BEFORE REALIZING. I QUICKLY PUSHED THE DOOR BACK DOWN AND DISARMED -- BUT THE PWR ASSIST TOOK OVER AND THE SLIDE INFLATED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THEN THE SLIDE DEFLATED, FLT ATTENDANT #2 MANNED MY DOOR WHILE I RPTED TO THE CAPT. SHE NEVER SAW THE SLIDE COMPLETELY INFLATED. BY THE TIME WE DEPLANED THE SLIDE RAFT WAS JUST A GRAY LIMP MATERIAL DANGLING FROM THE PLANE DOOR AT 1L. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT FLT HAD TO DEVIATE DUE TO FUEL/WX AT ORD. CABIN ATTENDANT WAS AWARE OF AIRSTAIRS APCHING BUT WAS CONFUSED BY THE PIC'S ORDER TO DISARM DOORS, DUE TO PAX ONBOARD AND REFUELING REGS THAT APPLY IN THIS SIT. THEN HER PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO COMMUNICATE TO OTHER CABIN ATTENDANTS TO DISARM DOORS DID NOT XMIT. RPTR SUGGESTS THAT THE ARMED POS ON THE AIRBUS PAX ENTRY DOOR BE COVERED WITH A COLORED STRIP TO DIFFERENTIATE THE ARM/DISARM POS OF THE HANDLE. SLIDE INFLATED PARTIALLY AND LODGED BTWN THE AIRSTAIRS AND ACFT FLOOR THEN QUICKLY DEFLATED WITHOUT INJURY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.