Narrative:

Terminating last flight of a 3-DAY trip at oak. After normal cockpit terminating procedures; exited the aircraft that was met by mechanic. Mechanic said he had the aircraft as the last passenger and flight attendants departed. The first officer and I departed for the lounge. The following morning catering discovered both rear emergency exit doors with the girt bars in the armed position before opening the rear doors. I mistakenly assumed that the flight attendants put the bars up. The mechanic did not catch the bars either. If it was not for a sharp catering crew there could have been a serious injury. The fom states that the captain should check that the bars are up and that there are no passenger in the lavatories prior to leaving a terminating aircraft. I was lucky that there was not an injury to one of our ground folks. I definitely will not be assuming that the flight attendants put the bars up from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW CABIN CREW NEGLECT TO DISARM THE DOOR SLIDES AFTER ACFT IS TERMINATED FOR EVENING.

Narrative: TERMINATING LAST FLT OF A 3-DAY TRIP AT OAK. AFTER NORMAL COCKPIT TERMINATING PROCS; EXITED THE ACFT THAT WAS MET BY MECH. MECH SAID HE HAD THE ACFT AS THE LAST PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS DEPARTED. THE FO AND I DEPARTED FOR THE LOUNGE. THE FOLLOWING MORNING CATERING DISCOVERED BOTH REAR EMER EXIT DOORS WITH THE GIRT BARS IN THE ARMED POS BEFORE OPENING THE REAR DOORS. I MISTAKENLY ASSUMED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS PUT THE BARS UP. THE MECH DID NOT CATCH THE BARS EITHER. IF IT WAS NOT FOR A SHARP CATERING CREW THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS INJURY. THE FOM STATES THAT THE CAPT SHOULD CHK THAT THE BARS ARE UP AND THAT THERE ARE NO PAX IN THE LAVATORIES PRIOR TO LEAVING A TERMINATING ACFT. I WAS LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NOT AN INJURY TO ONE OF OUR GND FOLKS. I DEFINITELY WILL NOT BE ASSUMING THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS PUT THE BARS UP FROM NOW ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.