Slide deployment in CLT

[N965VJ]

This was posted on MilePoint yesterday:

"I flew on Monday from CLT to MIA. Soon after taxi began there was a loud bang following which the captain came out and apologized to an FA. He then announced they had inadvertently deployed the emergency slide. In the end we were transferred to another aicraft and the flight was without further incident."

Someone asked for clarification about having a slide deployment physically initiated from the cockpit; this was added:

"Yes, deployment can be manually done from the cockpit. they did it"

The pilots went off to the Chief Pilot's Office while the FAs continued on:

"He was so summonded; he and the copilot were discussing that between temselves as we were deplaning. The flight crew changed with the second flight, while the cabin crew continued."

This was a 737-400. A slide can be deployed from the cockpit?

Linkage

 

[autofixer]

This was posted on MilePoint yesterday:

"I flew on Monday from CLT to MIA. Soon after taxi began there was a loud bang following which the captain came out and apologized to an FA. He then announced they had inadvertently deployed the emergency slide. In the end we were transferred to another aicraft and the flight was without further incident."

Someone asked for clarification about having a slide deployment physically initiated from the cockpit; this was added:

"Yes, deployment can be manually done from the cockpit. they did it"

The pilots went off to the Chief Pilot's Office while the FAs continued on:

"He was so summonded; he and the copilot were discussing that between temselves as we were deplaning. The flight crew changed with the second flight, while the cabin crew continued."

This was a 737-400. A slide can be deployed from the cockpit?

Linkage

B.S. alert!!! The slides cannot be deployed from the flightdeck.

 

[AstroLounge]

This was posted on MilePoint yesterday:

"I flew on Monday from CLT to MIA. Soon after taxi began there was a loud bang following which the captain came out and apologized to an FA. He then announced they had inadvertently deployed the emergency slide. In the end we were transferred to another aicraft and the flight was without further incident."

Someone asked for clarification about having a slide deployment physically initiated from the cockpit; this was added:

"Yes, deployment can be manually done from the cockpit. they did it"

The pilots went off to the Chief Pilot's Office while the FAs continued on:

"He was so summonded; he and the copilot were discussing that between temselves as we were deplaning. The flight crew changed with the second flight, while the cabin crew continued."

This was a 737-400. A slide can be deployed from the cockpit?

Linkage

Obviously NO TRUTH in the report. Regardless of whether it was a 737-300 or 400 I don't see ANY possible way for a pilot to deploy the Slide from the Flight Deck while taxiing. The nonsense that some people REPORT is amazing.

 

[roabilly]

Obviously NO TRUTH in the report. Regardless of whether it was a 737-300 or 400 I don't see ANY possible way for a pilot to deploy the Slide from the Flight Deck while taxiing. The nonsense that some people REPORT is amazing.

I concur... the BS light is flashing! This would be like the driver of an automobile being able to deploy his airbags "before" the event of a perceived collision!

 

[N965VJ]

I'm just trying to figure out how this could have been perceived to have happened in the manner described. I dunno.

 

[ExPit]

This was posted on MilePoint yesterday:

"I flew on Monday from CLT to MIA. Soon after taxi began there was a loud bang following which the captain came out and apologized to an FA. He then announced they had inadvertently deployed the emergency slide. In the end we were transferred to another aicraft and the flight was without further incident."

Someone asked for clarification about having a slide deployment physically initiated from the cockpit; this was added:

"Yes, deployment can be manually done from the cockpit. they did it"

The pilots went off to the Chief Pilot's Office while the FAs continued on:

"He was so summonded; he and the copilot were discussing that between temselves as we were deplaning. The flight crew changed with the second flight, while the cabin crew continued."

This was a 737-400. A slide can be deployed from the cockpit?

On that aircraft, there is NO way that a slide can be deployed from the cockpit during taxi.

Linkage

 

[Furloughd4now]

I flew on Monday from CLT to MIA. Soon after taxi began there was a loud bang following which the captain came out and apologized to an FA. He then announced they had inadvertently deployed the emergency slide. In the end we were transferred to another aicraft and the flight was without further incident."

BS alert times 3! The Boeing is a "manual" slide ... ie. It is not Pneumatic assist. Unless there's some pressure issues, its impossible for that to happen. There is NO way for the FD to activate a slide... How can they blow a slide on taxi??? The door must be cracked open. :blink:

Consider the source!

 

[BoeingBoy]

I'd be inclined to bet that the slide didn't deploy but merely slid down out of it's case. I can't come up with a way the slide could actually inflate and the person reporting this incident not be able to see it from FC - that slide is about twice as long as the cabin is wide.

Jim

 

[N965VJ]

We had some DC-9 slides fall out of the case when catering or an agent would really slam a door. Those were strictly manual inflation (even if an armed door was opened, an inflation handle still had to be pulled), but still some FAs would freak out. Back then, the fleet-wide procedure was to pull the handle no matter the aircraft to deploy a slide, even though some aircraft had automatic inflation.

 

[jimntx]

If this happened at all, I think Jim is correct. The slide pack simply fell out of the bustle--improbable, but possible. Even if the cockpit could release the slide (which they cannot), the slides are designed such that they have to drop about two vertical feet for the lanyard to tighten and pull the plug on the inflation bottle. Falling out of the bustle onto the cabin floor will not do it. The door has to be open, and the slide has to fall downward from there.

 

[autofixer]

If this happened at all, I think Jim is correct. The slide pack simply fell out of the bustle--improbable, but possible. Even if the cockpit could release the slide (which they cannot), the slides are designed such that they have to drop about two vertical feet for the lanyard to tighten and pull the plug on the inflation bottle. Falling out of the bustle onto the cabin floor will not do it. The door has to be open, and the slide has to fall downward from there.

Except...according to the post, the pilots were called into the cheif pilot's office. The report was the pilot's deployed the slide on taxi and were scolded by the man.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Unless a pilot went to the door and opened it, they could not have inflated the slide - there is no way to do that from the cockpit. As has already been said, the 737 has a purely mechanical activation process. If the girt bar in in the retainer brackets, opening the door pulls the slide out of the storage case and when the slide drops it pulls the inflation cable. If it doesn't inflate there's a manual pull handle on the slide to initiate inflation.

If they went to the CP's office it was probably to report the incident and do the paperwork.

Jim

 

[WorldTraveler]

stepping back from this particular incident, is it possible to control any door functions or deploy the slides on any aircraft from any position other than by a person positioned at that door? Hopefully a reasonably broad enough question that if any exceptions exist, they can be brought forward.

 

[N965VJ]

stepping back from this particular incident, is it possible to control any door functions or deploy the slides on any aircraft from any position other than by a person positioned at that door?

In my mind that would defeat the purpose of having someone (FA, ABP) right there to asses if the exit is usable before opening it. Fire, smoke, water, temperature of the door panel, etc.

 

[BoeingBoy]

stepping back from this particular incident, is it possible to control any door functions or deploy the slides on any aircraft from any position other than by a person positioned at that door?

I don't know of any but that doesn't carry much weight. To me, logic would suggest that the slide couldn't be deployed remotely if for no reason other than it would increase the chance of accidental deployments. Also, deploying the slides remotely does more harm than good if the door hasn't been opened fully, something only a person at the door would know.

Jim