What happened
The incident began during passenger boarding operations in Tallahassee. Ground personnel discovered that the left handrail on the aircraft's airstair had collapsed. The mechanical failure originated at the soldered joint of the handrail locking mechanism. To address the issue, the station manager applied metal glue as a temporary repair for the compromised joint. The flight crew was informed of this discrepancy before departure.
The aircraft departed Tallahassee with a stopover in Orlando en route to West Palm Beach. During the stop in Orlando, the airstair was not utilized. Upon arrival at West Palm Beach, a disabled passenger attempted to board the aircraft without assistance, requesting only additional time rather than physical aid. As the passenger stepped onto the airstair, the previously repaired handrail collapsed again. The loss of support caused the passenger to lose balance and fall to the ground, resulting in serious injuries.
The investigation
Examination of the airstair revealed that the structural integrity of the left handrail was compromised at the soldered joint within the locking mechanism. The temporary repair using metal glue failed under the load of a boarding passenger. The failure mode indicated that the adhesive bond could not sustain the operational stresses required for safe use.
Findings
Contributing factors included the inadequate nature of the temporary repair and the reliance on a disabled passenger to board unassisted despite known equipment limitations. The collapse of the handrail directly led to the fall and subsequent injuries.