B737-800 Flight Attendants reported avoiding an inadvertent escape slide deployment when catering tried to open an armed aft aircraft door.
Synopsis
B737-800 Flight Attendants reported avoiding an inadvertent escape slide deployment when catering tried to open an armed aft aircraft door.
Narrative
At XA:06 PM; which was approximately 5-10 minutes into boarding; I sent a message in app If possible catering could we please get 2 soda inserts before door closure. Our supply cart for this one leg was not supplied with 2 soda inserts & we are down lined. With 2 completely full flights to and from ZZZ [Airport]." Within 3 minutes a gate agent acknowledged the message tagging the control center. I also called up to the FA A letting her know I asked for soda inserts and to be on the lookout for catering- fully assuming they would bring them up jetbridge stairs to fwd entry door as they usually do when we ask for small things after they have already visited the AC. Boarding was complete at XA:21 PM per a message sent by gate agent in app. I assumed we weren't getting the soda inserts at this point because no one had seen them. A few moments later I was on the phone confirming with the FA A that they hadn't come yet. I told her it was fine I didn't want to delay or anything due to it; we would make do. But we had a few minutes before we needed to close so the CA wanted to wait. At this point a cabin crew Manager was down on the aircraft. Cabin crew Manager sent a message in the app at XA:24 PM saying "CA wants to wait for sodas". Shortly after FA C was walking back with 1 soda insert. The FA A later told me that catering said 1 was all they had. So she took it and told them we would make it work & at this point we continued on with our door closures and departure procedures like normal. Per the app; the AC door was closed at XA:26 PM and the jetbridge was off at XA:26 PM. Therefore we proceeded to arm our doors and cross check plus all call as that is our SOPs. We then did our safety demonstration. After the safety demonstration we do our safety compliance checks on the way back to the aft galley. As myself and FA B are walking into the aft galley and removing our life vests from our demo. I hear my door start to open. I whip around and so does the FA B and we start shouting and motioning (x'ed hands) for the caterer to stop opening the door and to close it. It was to our big surprise why they were coming to the aft galley 10 minutes after door closure; jetbridge disconnect and arming of the doors. Not to mention the jetbridge had been detached for 10 minutes which 1 should have been a sign our doors were armed and 2 the red warning flag was across the viewing window as it should be on an armed door. The slide DID NOT partially or fully deploy thankfully. Once the door was closed; I took pictures of my door; everything looking how it should look in the armed mode. Immediately; the CA called us to ask about the door being not sealed/ opened. I explained the caterer just opened it without knocking or looking at the viewing window. I voiced to the CA that the slide did not partially or fully deploy but I was worried about it since the door was partially opened in the armed mode. He told us he was calling down to grounds to see what was going on. I went up to the fwd galley to show the FA A the pictures of my door and slide bustle. FA A also came back to look at it. Five or so minutes had passed at this point and we hadn't heard from the CA; so FA A called him to get an update. From my understanding of their call; everything was fine and CA said 'we would go as normal he was just communicating with the tower to push back so he was busy.' Suggestions: I am not sure how this even happened. I obviously don't know fully the caterer's procedures. But I do know they are required to knock before opening the aircraft door to receive the thumbs up PLUS look through the viewing window to see if the door is armed or not (on 737 they should specifically be looking for that red warning strap). I would also like to note that the caterers should never be pulling up and opening the door when the jetbridge is not connected because most likely that means the back doors are also armed. In this situation I am not sure if the shouting or us puttingour hands up in the X is what caught the caterers attention to stop opening the door and return it to closed. Had this been a couple weeks from now when we aren't supposed to do the X hands anymore and just give no signal; I definitely don't think that would have stopped him from opening the door. 1 because he didn't even knocked he just tried whipping it open before knocking or noticing the red flag. So as we have monitor and challenge to give our full attention to our door and what we are doing. I think something of that matter should be in place for anyone opening the door from the outside to ensure it is disarmed (especially on the 737) if that isn't already one of their SOPs."
Second reporter narrative
Caterer attempted to open the Aft entry door while it was armed and the red warning strap was engaged across the window. Doors were armed and cross checked per FA procedures. Caterer did not knock and to our knowledge did not peer through the window. This happened approx 10 minutes after the Forward Entry door was closed and the jetbridge was removed but before the aircraft pushed back. FA C and I had just completed the safety demo and safety compliance checks. We had just entered the galley and while removing our life vest demos the door cracked opened. We immediately yelled 'no' and 'stop' and the cater then closed the door. He did not knock but began to peer through the window before eventually leaving. We notified the captain of the events. The slide did not deploy or; to the best of our knowledge; partially deploy. Suggestions: Caterers should review correct procedures for opening doors. Caterers should not be attempting to open an aircraft door while the jetbridge has been removed.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.