ON A B747-400; DURING A ROUTINE OVERWATER CHK; DOOR 3L SLIDE WAS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. DOOR WAS OPENED TO CHK DOOR ASSIST BOTTLE PRESSURE.

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DURING ROUTINE MAINT ON MAY/WED/02 AT ABOUT XC30; I WAS CARRYING OUT MY CHK. BEING AT DOOR 3L; TO CHK FOR SLIDE RAFT PRESSURE; I JUST CRACKED OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE WITH DISARM-ARM LEVEL IN DISARM POS AND THE SLIDE RAFT DEPLOYED. PRIOR TO ACCIDENTAL SLIDE RAFT DEPLOYMENT; I CHKED FOR ALL DOORS TO BE IN DISARM POS AND ALSO CARRIED OUT GIRT BAR OP AND MODE SELECT LEVER FOR ARM AND DISARM POS. SINCE I AM ALSO A RUNUP TAXI CREW; BEFORE PICKING UP THE ACFT AT THE GATE; I PERFORMED THE ALL DOOR MODE SELECT AND GIRT BAR OP AT GATE AND TAXIED THE ACFT TO HANGAR FOR ROUTINE MAINT BEFORE LUNCH BREAK AT XA30. AFTER LUNCH; CARRIED OUT OTHER DUTIES ON THE SAME ACFT. GUESS I WAS A LITTLE TIRED. DURING MY OVERWATER CHK; I COULD HAVE CHKED FOR GAUGE PRESSURE WITHOUT OPENING THE DOOR BY USING A MIRROR. I HAD ALREADY CONFIRMED ALL DOORS WERE IN GND MODE; OPENING THE DOOR MAKES IT EASIER FOR ME TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE GAUGE INSTEAD OF USING A MIRROR. I HAD DONE THIS CHK MANY; MANY TIMES TO DATE SINCE MY EMPLOYMENT AT COMPANY X. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ACCIDENTAL DEPLOYMENT OF THE SLIDE; I RPTED THE MATTER TO MY SUPVR ON DUTY. THEIR ACTION WAS TO TAKE ME TO COMPANY MEDICAL FOR ALCOHOL/DRUG TEST. I HAD TO WRITE AN ACCIDENT RPT. THIS SAME ACFT WAS SCHEDULED FOR SFO-SYD FLT LATER IN THE DAY. THE DEPLOYED SLIDE WAS REPLACED AND ALL MAINT COMPLETED. ACFT RELEASED BACK TO SVC AND MADE ITS SCHEDULED FLT TO XXX WITH NO DELAYS.