B757 pilot inadvertently deployed overwing escape slide before departure.

Attributes
ACN	574179
Time
Date	200302
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	574179
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : escape slide activation other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While parked at the gate before any passenger had boarded, a flight attendant reported that she thought an overwing exit was not properly secured. I went back to inspect the exit, and it did possibly appear not to be sealed properly. I then mistakenly opened the overwing exit to try to readjust the exit door. Upon doing so, the overwing slide did deploy. I had completely forgotten about the slide deploying automatically. No one was injured. Maintenance responded very quickly to begin fixing my big blunder. There was going to be a lengthy delay to replace the slide with a new one. We were able to swap airplanes and complete our sequence 1 hour late in mia. Moral of the story -- don't touch anything, call maintenance. Think before you act.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PLT INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED OVERWING ESCAPE SLIDE BEFORE DEP.

Narrative: WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE BEFORE ANY PAX HAD BOARDED, A FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT SHE THOUGHT AN OVERWING EXIT WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. I WENT BACK TO INSPECT THE EXIT, AND IT DID POSSIBLY APPEAR NOT TO BE SEALED PROPERLY. I THEN MISTAKENLY OPENED THE OVERWING EXIT TO TRY TO READJUST THE EXIT DOOR. UPON DOING SO, THE OVERWING SLIDE DID DEPLOY. I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE SLIDE DEPLOYING AUTOMATICALLY. NO ONE WAS INJURED. MAINT RESPONDED VERY QUICKLY TO BEGIN FIXING MY BIG BLUNDER. THERE WAS GOING TO BE A LENGTHY DELAY TO REPLACE THE SLIDE WITH A NEW ONE. WE WERE ABLE TO SWAP AIRPLANES AND COMPLETE OUR SEQUENCE 1 HR LATE IN MIA. MORAL OF THE STORY -- DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING, CALL MAINT. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT.

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.