Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
Flight was running approximately 30 minutes late. I was proceeding through my first flight flow for the aircraft. I was at the stall protection test and just reaching for the guarded switch light when the number 2 Flight Attendant entered the cockpit and requested conditioned air for the cabin.I was looking over my shoulder at her as I pressed what I thought was the stall test switch light. Then I immediately went to the overhead panel and started the APU. As my hand was dropping from the overhead panel a 'green' switch light illuminated on the glare shield. Instinctively; I reached toward it to press and extinguish said light. Having never seeing the Bottle Armed/Press to discharge light 'on' during line operations; I reacted as if the 'green' roll switch light was illuminated. I realized as I was pressing the switch light; just what was happening. I inadvertently discharged the left (#1) engine fire bottle.Rushing to complete my First Flight flow I allowed myself to get distracted. I got out of my expected flow movement. Didn't realize I 'missed' my intended switch and reacted out of instinct.
Captain inadvertently discharged engine number 1 fire bottle during his first flight of the day checks.I was in the process of doing my preflight items and loading of the FMS while the Captain was doing his first flight of the day checks. While loading the FMS I heard the caution chime and the captain say that he had just inadvertently discharged the engine number 1 fire bottle. We then notified maintenance; the rest of the crew and operations of what happened. I then made an announcement that the aircraft had a maintenance issue and that we would have to deplane. We then deplaned the passengers and maintenance took the aircraft.Possibilities of what may have caused the event are:-Rushing to get the flight out on time because it was late to the gate.-Interruption from the flight attendant during first flight of the day checks.
CRJ-700 flight crew reported the Captain inadvertently discharged the #1 engine fire bottle during preflight.