Narrative:

An emergency escape slide inadvertently detached from aft left service door upon arrival in grand cayman (mwcr). Our company's procedure is for the aft flight attendants to disarm and xchk each other on slide disarmament. A further check for disarmament is done in the cockpit during the 'parking and securing' checklist, where the slide arming display is checked by the captain. There was an MEL item on our 'electrical equipment ventilation,' and once we arrived at the gate, an unexpected horn was sounding in the nosewheel area. I was distracted by the horn, and exited the cockpit to check out the horn. I never called for the checklist. The distraction was enough to hinder my normal flows. The slide never inflated, as its arming was noticed by a catering staff member as he attempted to open the door from the inside (his version). I received several versions of the arm/disarm handle position, and none of them seem to be similar. It is impossible to ascertain, from those involved, whether or not the door was left armed, or whether the catering staff inadvertently armed it before opening the door. What is certain, is that the distraction of myself and the first officer caused by the unexpected sounding of the horn below, precipitated a failure to read a checklist which would have assured me that all indications showed a disarmed escape slide.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC REPORTED AN EMER EVAC SLIDE DETACHED FROM AFT L SVC DOOR DURING ACFT CATERING.

Narrative: AN EMER ESCAPE SLIDE INADVERTENTLY DETACHED FROM AFT L SVC DOOR UPON ARR IN GRAND CAYMAN (MWCR). OUR COMPANY'S PROC IS FOR THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISARM AND XCHK EACH OTHER ON SLIDE DISARMAMENT. A FURTHER CHK FOR DISARMAMENT IS DONE IN THE COCKPIT DURING THE 'PARKING AND SECURING' CHKLIST, WHERE THE SLIDE ARMING DISPLAY IS CHKED BY THE CAPT. THERE WAS AN MEL ITEM ON OUR 'ELECTRICAL EQUIP VENTILATION,' AND ONCE WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE, AN UNEXPECTED HORN WAS SOUNDING IN THE NOSEWHEEL AREA. I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE HORN, AND EXITED THE COCKPIT TO CHK OUT THE HORN. I NEVER CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. THE DISTR WAS ENOUGH TO HINDER MY NORMAL FLOWS. THE SLIDE NEVER INFLATED, AS ITS ARMING WAS NOTICED BY A CATERING STAFF MEMBER AS HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE (HIS VERSION). I RECEIVED SEVERAL VERSIONS OF THE ARM/DISARM HANDLE POS, AND NONE OF THEM SEEM TO BE SIMILAR. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ASCERTAIN, FROM THOSE INVOLVED, WHETHER OR NOT THE DOOR WAS LEFT ARMED, OR WHETHER THE CATERING STAFF INADVERTENTLY ARMED IT BEFORE OPENING THE DOOR. WHAT IS CERTAIN, IS THAT THE DISTR OF MYSELF AND THE FO CAUSED BY THE UNEXPECTED SOUNDING OF THE HORN BELOW, PRECIPITATED A FAILURE TO READ A CHKLIST WHICH WOULD HAVE ASSURED ME THAT ALL INDICATIONS SHOWED A DISARMED ESCAPE SLIDE.

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.