B757-200 had door 3R escape slide deployed due to misunderstanding with cabin attendant if slide was...

Attributes
ACN	627684
Time
Date	200408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Experience	maintenance technician : 16
ASRS Report	627684
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : unqualified personnel
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Asked flight attendant if door was disarmed and she said, 'yes.' however, door 3R is always armed,' which I didn't realize. Pulled handle and slide deployed. Training on B757 would have prevented it. Such training was requested in writing over 1 yr ago, along with several phone calls. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the B757-200 was a new airplane on which he had never worked or received system training or general familiarization. The reporter said this was a new job assignment due to a maintenance base closure. The reporter stated he requested training by letter and phone calls when given the new job assignment but received none. The reporter said the center lavatories were dumped but the service valve was inoperative and it was decided to service the lavatories with a hose through door 3R. The reporter stated the flight attendant was asked if the door was disarmed and answered, 'yes.' the reporter said there was no sign of door condition or arming or disarming flags that were visible. He then opened the door and deployed the slide. The reporter stated he learned the hard way that door 3R and 3L are always armed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 HAD DOOR 3R ESCAPE SLIDE DEPLOYED DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING WITH CABIN ATTENDANT IF SLIDE WAS DISARMED. FOUND DOOR 3 ALWAYS ARMED.

Narrative: ASKED FLT ATTENDANT IF DOOR WAS DISARMED AND SHE SAID, 'YES.' HOWEVER, DOOR 3R IS ALWAYS ARMED,' WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE. PULLED HANDLE AND SLIDE DEPLOYED. TRAINING ON B757 WOULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. SUCH TRAINING WAS REQUESTED IN WRITING OVER 1 YR AGO, ALONG WITH SEVERAL PHONE CALLS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE B757-200 WAS A NEW AIRPLANE ON WHICH HE HAD NEVER WORKED OR RECEIVED SYS TRAINING OR GENERAL FAMILIARIZATION. THE RPTR SAID THIS WAS A NEW JOB ASSIGNMENT DUE TO A MAINT BASE CLOSURE. THE RPTR STATED HE REQUESTED TRAINING BY LETTER AND PHONE CALLS WHEN GIVEN THE NEW JOB ASSIGNMENT BUT RECEIVED NONE. THE RPTR SAID THE CTR LAVATORIES WERE DUMPED BUT THE SVC VALVE WAS INOP AND IT WAS DECIDED TO SVC THE LAVATORIES WITH A HOSE THROUGH DOOR 3R. THE RPTR STATED THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS ASKED IF THE DOOR WAS DISARMED AND ANSWERED, 'YES.' THE RPTR SAID THERE WAS NO SIGN OF DOOR CONDITION OR ARMING OR DISARMING FLAGS THAT WERE VISIBLE. HE THEN OPENED THE DOOR AND DEPLOYED THE SLIDE. THE RPTR STATED HE LEARNED THE HARD WAY THAT DOOR 3R AND 3L ARE ALWAYS ARMED.

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.

B757-200 had door 3R escape slide deployed due to misunderstanding with cabin attendant if slide was disarmed. Found door 3 always armed.