B737-300
Flight Attendant Current
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Upon arrival; after the seatbelt sign was turned off; I made my announcement for flight attendants to prepare doors for arrival. I followed proper protocol and disarmed my doors. The jetway was not up to the plane; so I waited for the Operations Agent to be there before cracking the door. I saw the Agent through the window; and I proceeded to open the door. I immediately heard a click noise; and the 'C' Flight Attendant yelled out to stop opening the door. I looked down and noticed that the girt bar had fallen out of the hooks and the bustle of the slide was 1/2 way out. I immediately asked the 'C' Flight Attendant if she saw that I had disarmed the door and she agreed that I did. I know that I did; and I know that I heard a click as I was opening the door; which meant the girt bar fell out. We informed the pilot what had happened; and he immediately contacted Dispatch to get a hold of Maintenance. With cooperation with Operations and Maintenance; we deplaned from the back of the aircraft via air stairs. I feel that the older planes need to have the hooks that the girt bar is supposed to sit in when disarming it re-enforced in some way so this doesn't happen to people when they disarm their door.
A B737-300 L1 door escape slide girth bar fell off its retainer after the door was disarmed and subsequently the slide fell partially out of its container before the door was fully opened but the slide did not deploy.