Flight crew of B732 repacked emergency slide without authority/authorized or appropriate personnel.

Attributes
ACN	579738
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : abq.airport
State Reference	NM
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 290 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	579738
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : person 3
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Cabin Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Slide pack release bar was caught during opening of the forward passenger door. The flight attendants prevented the slide from activating, but the container on the door released the pack onto the jetway. After looking at the situation the pilots (myself included) put the pack back in the container and latched it in. With clear hindsight, I should have called a mechanic even though it only involved velcro and a latch. We flew to the next station where I had a mechanic look at it and it was properly latched. Common sense fixed the problem but failed the FAA way of doing things.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B732 REPACKED EMER SLIDE WITHOUT AUTH OR APPROPRIATE PERSONNEL.

Narrative: SLIDE PACK RELEASE BAR WAS CAUGHT DURING OPENING OF THE FORWARD PAX DOOR. THE FLT ATTENDANTS PREVENTED THE SLIDE FROM ACTIVATING, BUT THE CONTAINER ON THE DOOR RELEASED THE PACK ONTO THE JETWAY. AFTER LOOKING AT THE SIT THE PLTS (MYSELF INCLUDED) PUT THE PACK BACK IN THE CONTAINER AND LATCHED IT IN. WITH CLR HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED A MECH EVEN THOUGH IT ONLY INVOLVED VELCRO AND A LATCH. WE FLEW TO THE NEXT STATION WHERE I HAD A MECH LOOK AT IT AND IT WAS PROPERLY LATCHED. COMMON SENSE FIXED THE PROB BUT FAILED THE FAA WAY OF DOING THINGS.

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.