EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Attendant Current
Flight Attendant Airline Total 3; Flight Attendant Total 3
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure; Human Factors
We landed in ZZZ. I was working the 'A' position and Flight Attendant Y was working the 'B' position. When we came to the gate and Captain X turned off the seatbelt light I; and all the passengers stood. I turned on the [cabin] lights and checked for the gate ramp. I saw it moving toward us; so I disarmed the right door and made the announcement to 'prepare doors for arrival and crosscheck.' I was watching the ramp as it was still gradually moving toward us. I noticed several people on the ramp. Flight Attendant Y responded that 'crosscheck was complete.' The ramp was almost to the aircraft and waited for it to come up to us. When it did; I disarmed the Main Passenger Door and stepped to the back right of one of our passengers. Flight Attendant Z came up and looked in. I gave her the thumbs up and she lifted the [Main Door] handle. As she started pulling the door; right away I saw the Girt Bar attached to the door frame which I had never seen before since I had worked here; so I yelled for her to stop; which she did. The passenger stepped aside for me to get through and I told her [Flight Attendant Z] to stand back and wait for a minute that the bar was attached. I said I was going to get the Captain. I made sure she understood and stood back. I then called for the Captain and told him what had taken place. I believe he called Maintenance and was talking with them as he released the Girt Bar from the frame and slowly slid the door open. I continued there with him throughout the process in case anything occurred or he needed help. He said to deplane the passengers which we did. Once they were off; we arranged the seatbelts and got our luggage and deplaned ourselves. The Captain and I stayed with the aircraft waiting for the Maintenance people as the other Flight Attendant (F/A) and the First Officer (FO) headed for the hotel shuttle. All of the next crew; with the exception of the new Captain; were there and boarded as we waited. Captain X spoke with the FO for the next flight concerning what had occurred and said for us to go and that he would take care of it. As we exited the ramp door we spoke with Flight Attendant Z; the gate agent.Cause was mechanical failure. Gate Agent and I both carried out our designated responsibilities. Was difficult arming and disarming doors; but had doors like this before. Perhaps doors should be checked by Maintenance each night to verify ease of arming and disarming. Women would have had significant problem with this door and could possibly been injured; as has happened before.
A Flight Attendant reports about the difficulty 'Disarming' the Forward Main Entry Door (MED) on an ERJ-170 aircraft that almost ended with an inadvertent slide deployment at a passenger gate due to the slide Girt Bar had re-engaged as the door handle was moved. Flight Attendant also notes the same issue of 'Arming' and 'Disarming' has occurred on their other ERJ-170s.