On November 3, 1988, a Boeing B-747-123 (registration N9674) was involved in an aviation accident near Bridgetown, BF. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO NOTICE THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS NOT PRESENT AS SHE ENTERED THE ELEVATOR SHAFT AND PRIOR TO CLOSING THE DOOR. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A flight attendant entered an elevator shaft on a lower deck, failing to notice the elevator was absent. Another attendant started the elevator from above, causing injuries including scalp laceration and spinal compression.
Incident Details
During an incident on an aircraft, a flight attendant on a lower deck entered an elevator shaft. According to the report, the flight attendant failed to notice that the elevator was not present and closed the elevator door behind her. Simultaneously, a flight attendant on the upper deck entered the elevator and started it descending. The flight attendant below the elevator screamed as the elevator moved. The elevator was then stopped and returned to the upper level.
Injuries
As a result of the incident, the flight attendant below the elevator suffered a lacerated scalp and compression of the T2 and T5 vertebrae. The nature of the injuries indicates physical trauma from the elevator movement.
Contributing Factors
According to the operator, there were visual cues present that would have indicated the elevator was not present. However, the flight attendant did not notice these cues before entering the shaft. The report does not provide further details on the specific visual cues or any other contributing factors.