Narrative:

As captain on flight from lax to ord, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to #1 flight attendant for her quick thinking and action to prevent an inadvertent slide deployment due to a mechanical problem with the slide compartment and shrouding. On gate arrival and with the doors properly disarmed, the #1 flight attendant noticed the L1 door slide dropping out of the package compartment. She then told the gate agent to hold the door in its mid position, while bending down and holding the slide from dropping until I could get back and hold the slide in place. When I did get to it, the girt bar (although properly disarmed) was stuck on the door frame and could easily have deployed the slide, had she not grabbed the door and held it, while telling the agent not to open it any further. Her quick thinking and actions most certainly prevented a slide deployment and consequential delay or cancellation for the outbound flight, as well as preventing other problems. The slide was written up, and maintenance said a pin came loose and that reference quick think and actions by flight attendant, after maintenance confirmed that the slide could easily have deployed. They determined that a pin came loose which allowed the slide to drop down and be subject to deployment, had the flight attendant not been alert during the door opening process.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B737, LAX-ORD. ON ARR AT ORD, THE FRONT DOOR SLIDE CAME LOOSE AND ALMOST DEPLOYED. SAVED BY CABIN ATTENDANT #1. MAINT LOGBOOK ITEM.

Narrative: AS CAPT ON FLT FROM LAX TO ORD, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO #1 FLT ATTENDANT FOR HER QUICK THINKING AND ACTION TO PREVENT AN INADVERTENT SLIDE DEPLOYMENT DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE SLIDE COMPARTMENT AND SHROUDING. ON GATE ARR AND WITH THE DOORS PROPERLY DISARMED, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED THE L1 DOOR SLIDE DROPPING OUT OF THE PACKAGE COMPARTMENT. SHE THEN TOLD THE GATE AGENT TO HOLD THE DOOR IN ITS MID POS, WHILE BENDING DOWN AND HOLDING THE SLIDE FROM DROPPING UNTIL I COULD GET BACK AND HOLD THE SLIDE IN PLACE. WHEN I DID GET TO IT, THE GIRT BAR (ALTHOUGH PROPERLY DISARMED) WAS STUCK ON THE DOOR FRAME AND COULD EASILY HAVE DEPLOYED THE SLIDE, HAD SHE NOT GRABBED THE DOOR AND HELD IT, WHILE TELLING THE AGENT NOT TO OPEN IT ANY FURTHER. HER QUICK THINKING AND ACTIONS MOST CERTAINLY PREVENTED A SLIDE DEPLOYMENT AND CONSEQUENTIAL DELAY OR CANCELLATION FOR THE OUTBOUND FLT, AS WELL AS PREVENTING OTHER PROBS. THE SLIDE WAS WRITTEN UP, AND MAINT SAID A PIN CAME LOOSE AND THAT REF QUICK THINK AND ACTIONS BY FLT ATTENDANT, AFTER MAINT CONFIRMED THAT THE SLIDE COULD EASILY HAVE DEPLOYED. THEY DETERMINED THAT A PIN CAME LOOSE WHICH ALLOWED THE SLIDE TO DROP DOWN AND BE SUBJECT TO DEPLOYMENT, HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT NOT BEEN ALERT DURING THE DOOR OPENING PROCESS.

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.