Narrative:

The flight was running late due to WX delays. The crew was almost out of crew duty time and approaching an illegal status. Catering had been ordered, due to shortages, but later canceled to prevent further delays. The front door was closed and the jetbridge removed. We called ramp tower for a pushback ground crew, and completed the prior to pushout portion of the checklist, including receiving the cabin ready report. My first contact with the ground man was unreadable. When communication was established, we were informed that the catering truck was at the rear of the aircraft. Seconds later the aft galley door light illuminated, followed by a call from the #4 flight attendant informing me that the aft galley door slide had deployed and inflated. I inquired about any injuries and none were reported. We called maintenance. Maintenance replaced the slide and reported no additional damage to the aircraft. Due to this delay, the crew duty day expired and the flight was canceled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVAC SLIDE DEPLOYED AT THE GATE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS RUNNING LATE DUE TO WX DELAYS. THE CREW WAS ALMOST OUT OF CREW DUTY TIME AND APCHING AN ILLEGAL STATUS. CATERING HAD BEEN ORDERED, DUE TO SHORTAGES, BUT LATER CANCELED TO PREVENT FURTHER DELAYS. THE FRONT DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THE JETBRIDGE REMOVED. WE CALLED RAMP TWR FOR A PUSHBACK GND CREW, AND COMPLETED THE PRIOR TO PUSHOUT PORTION OF THE CHKLIST, INCLUDING RECEIVING THE CABIN READY RPT. MY FIRST CONTACT WITH THE GND MAN WAS UNREADABLE. WHEN COM WAS ESTABLISHED, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE CATERING TRUCK WAS AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT. SECONDS LATER THE AFT GALLEY DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED, FOLLOWED BY A CALL FROM THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT INFORMING ME THAT THE AFT GALLEY DOOR SLIDE HAD DEPLOYED AND INFLATED. I INQUIRED ABOUT ANY INJURIES AND NONE WERE RPTED. WE CALLED MAINT. MAINT REPLACED THE SLIDE AND RPTED NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. DUE TO THIS DELAY, THE CREW DUTY DAY EXPIRED AND THE FLT WAS CANCELED.

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.