2025-08 · NASA ASRS report 2272033
Air carrier Flight Attendants reported inadvertent partial escape slide deployment when the gate agent opened the door without approval.
The main cabin door closed. We armed and crosschecked our doors; and then I made my way up to doors 1 L/R to crosscheck the purser's doors. I was also attempting to accommodate a roller bag in first class as a Flight Attendant had said there may be space available in those bins. I attempted to communicate to the gate agent at XA:15 that I needed a bag tag for a passenger's luggage; but they closed the main cabin door (MCD) before checking the app. My purser was also busy trying to communicate with a customer nearby the 1R door because her cooler bag was gate-checked; but she had food in it and was unaware that her roller bag would be tagged to the final destination and would not be available plane side upon arrival. With no other option available for these bags; my purser asked the Captain to radio down to our ramp team to pull that cooler bag out of the cargo bins; have it delivered to the plane; and she would stow the cooler bag at the 1L closet. I was at row 1DEF side still attempting to accommodate a passenger's roller bag in an overhead bin when the gate agent arrived at the MCD. I did not hear any knocks on the MCD; but I heard the door being opened and saw light appearing on the aisle nearby the 1 L/R door area. The gate agent had partially opened the MCD while it was fully armed and it resulted in a partial slide deployment. My purser stated that she had never given a thumbs up to the gate agent and he opened the MCD on his own. The gate agent stated that he had seen a glare on the MCD and thought he saw my purser give him the thumbs up so he started opening the door. The purser asked if he saw the door streamer across the door viewing window and he said yes. He also stated that he did feel a bit of resistance at the time. The slide fell half out of the housing pack and the gate agent held the door to prevent a full inadvertent slide deployment (ISD) from occurring. Captain called Maintenance for the partial ISD and updated our customers on what had just occurred. I remained at the bulkhead and redirected customers away from using the forward lavatory as it is unsafe with the MCD and the partial ISD there. We waited almost an hour and then the Captain called us to disarm both doors at door 2 so we disarmed and crosschecked our doors so that the air stairs can be pulled up to door 2L. We saw the maintenance person struggling with the air stairs as it was too high for the door level and gave an update to the flight deck. The Captain informed us that the air stairs are broken and to let him know when 2L is open so we can deplane customers from the aft. After several minutes; they were able to reposition the air stairs properly; the operations agent knocked on the door; my colleague gave a thumbs up and cracked door 2L. The maintenance agent entered and went up to the MCD. We then updated the flight deck; and my purser made an announcement for customers to begin deplaning from 2L. After a while; Maintenance was able to disconnect the slide pack safely from the MCD and the purser made another announcement for customers to begin deplaning from door 1L as well as it is now safe to use that exit.
Main cabin door closed; I made arming announcement. Person A called me to let me know she had a bag that needed to be checked; the gate agent hadn't checked the app to make a bag tag. We armed doors and all call was completed. A passenger came up to me in the galley and asked if the cooler bag that was gate checked is going to final destination; I told her yes. She said that she needed the cooler with them because her husband has to eat every three hours. I told her that the cooler would not fit in the overhead bin and it had to be checked. I assumed it was a medical reason that she needed the cooler but I did not ask; that was my fault. I asked the pilots if it was possible to call down and see if we could get the cooler brought back up. At this time I went to first class to help Flight Attendant find a bag space for the bag that needed to be checked. I came back up to the front to find the slide partially deployed. Person A and I did not hear any knocking on the door and there was no flight attendant at 1L to give a thumbs up to open the door. The streamer was still across the door when the gate agent opened the door. The passenger with the cooler question was still up front and she said she saw the gate agent tugging at the door to get it open. I asked the gate agent if he saw the streamer across the door and he said yes and that he thought he saw a thumbs up but that it must have been a reflection from outside; he admitted that it was his fault for opening the door while armed. Once doors are armed I am able to step away from the door; in this case I should not have because there was a possibility of having the door reopened to bring the cooler on board. Even though there is no hand signal to give if the door should not be opened; the gate agent still thought he saw a thumbs up; the door would still have been opened even if I was standing at the door.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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