A320 flight crew has uncoord aft exit door opened by catering while door slide is armed.

Attributes
ACN	701829
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mynn.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9200 flight time type : 2190
ASRS Report	701829
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

After completing before pushback checklist; pushback driver advised catering truck was coming back to secure a strap extending from door 2L. Doors were armed. Before I could react and advise the flight attendants in the back; catering opened the armed door to remove the strap. Due to airbus system; opening the door from the outside disarmed the door which had been previously armed by the flight attendant. While the outcome of the catering crew's actions did not result in a deployed slide and possible injury; their actions without proper coordination and approval from the cockpit were reckless and unsatisfactory.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW HAS UNCOORD AFT EXIT DOOR OPENED BY CATERING WHILE DOOR SLIDE IS ARMED.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLIST; PUSHBACK DRIVER ADVISED CATERING TRUCK WAS COMING BACK TO SECURE A STRAP EXTENDING FROM DOOR 2L. DOORS WERE ARMED. BEFORE I COULD REACT AND ADVISE THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK; CATERING OPENED THE ARMED DOOR TO REMOVE THE STRAP. DUE TO AIRBUS SYS; OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE DISARMED THE DOOR WHICH HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ARMED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT. WHILE THE OUTCOME OF THE CATERING CREW'S ACTIONS DID NOT RESULT IN A DEPLOYED SLIDE AND POSSIBLE INJURY; THEIR ACTIONS WITHOUT PROPER COORD AND APPROVAL FROM THE COCKPIT WERE RECKLESS AND UNSATISFACTORY.

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.