A321
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Aircraft; Human Factors
On gate arrival after brakes set; seatbelt signs off and engines off I scanned the doors page to watch the slides being disarmed. At that moment I saw the 1R door go amber with the slide still armed. I assigned my FO to complete the shutdown checklist on his own and proceeded to the 1R door to assess the situation. At the 1R door I found the door partially open. The Flight Attendant; male; was pulling down on the 'control handle'; using what appeared to be all his effort. I observed that the 'slide arming lever' was in the disarmed position and the 'Slide Armed' light did not appear to be illuminated. My assessment of the situation was that; if the slide was still armed and triggered; the Flight Attendant would be pulled out of the plane upon deployment. If the door was disarmed; then if the Flight Attendant let go; the slide would not inflate. Looking out the window the area looked clear; except for the catering truck that has just stopped below. I instructed the Flight Attendant to relax [his] grip; to 'slowly let go'. As he started relaxing his grip the door's pneumatics pushed the door out of his grip; open and the slide deployed. Flight attendant was only with the company for 1 1/2 years and this was his first flight on the Airbus.
During shutdown at the gate; A321 Captain noticed that the 1R cabin door warning was amber. Captain exited the cockpit and noticed a Flight Attendant pulling on the door handle with considerable force and that the door slide appeared to be disarmed. When the Flight Attendant let go of the handle; the door automatically opened and the emergency slide deployed.