Narrative:

Aircraft was ready for pushback; doors closed and armed. Jetway began moving back toward the aircraft. I called the 'a' flight attendant and advised him and reminded him to disarm the 1L door. The agent entered the cockpit and advised me that we were to give up this ship and proceed with passenger to another gate. I immediately called dispatch to confirm; and questioned the decision to change aircraft after departure time. In the meantime; deplaning had begun. I was about to go through my shutdown checklist when a cleaner apparently opened the 1R door. She then realized it was not disarmed and held the door while calling for help. The 'a' flight attendant helped her hold the door and saw that the arming handle was in the disarmed position. I called for maintenance. Mechanics arrived and took over from the cleaner/attendant. We left the mechanic holding the door. We later learned that the slide did eventually deploy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION OVER PLANE SWAP AFTER DEP TIME CONTRIBUTES TO FAILURE TO DISARM 1R EMER EXIT SLIDE. OPENING BY GND PERSONNEL INITIATES DEPLOYMENT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS READY FOR PUSHBACK; DOORS CLOSED AND ARMED. JETWAY BEGAN MOVING BACK TOWARD THE ACFT. I CALLED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT AND ADVISED HIM AND REMINDED HIM TO DISARM THE 1L DOOR. THE AGENT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED ME THAT WE WERE TO GIVE UP THIS SHIP AND PROCEED WITH PAX TO ANOTHER GATE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED DISPATCH TO CONFIRM; AND QUESTIONED THE DECISION TO CHANGE ACFT AFTER DEP TIME. IN THE MEANTIME; DEPLANING HAD BEGUN. I WAS ABOUT TO GO THROUGH MY SHUTDOWN CHKLIST WHEN A CLEANER APPARENTLY OPENED THE 1R DOOR. SHE THEN REALIZED IT WAS NOT DISARMED AND HELD THE DOOR WHILE CALLING FOR HELP. THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT HELPED HER HOLD THE DOOR AND SAW THAT THE ARMING HANDLE WAS IN THE DISARMED POS. I CALLED FOR MAINT. MECHS ARRIVED AND TOOK OVER FROM THE CLEANER/ATTENDANT. WE LEFT THE MECH HOLDING THE DOOR. WE LATER LEARNED THAT THE SLIDE DID EVENTUALLY DEPLOY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.