No fatalities

Flight Attendant Injured After Slipping on De-Icing Fluid During Beverage Service

Chicago, IL, United States

On December 29, 2012, an EMBRAER EMB-145LR operated by AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC was involved in an aviation accident near Chicago, IL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The presence of deice fluid on the floor, which resulted in a slip hazard and an injury to the flight attendant. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A flight attendant slipped on de-icing fluid in the main cabin door area shortly after departure, injuring her left arm. An off-duty airline pilot who was a passenger assisted with cabin safety duties.

Incident Overview

Shortly after departure, a flight attendant initiated beverage service. While working in the main cabin door floor area, she lost her footing and fell, sustaining an injury to her left arm.

Response

As a result of the injury, the flight attendant was unable to continue her assigned crew responsibilities. An airline pilot who was traveling as a passenger on the same flight stepped in to assist with maintaining cabin safety during the remainder of the flight.

Contributing Condition

The flight attendant reported that de-icing fluid was present on the floor, which caused the surface to become slippery. Additionally, de-ice fluid was observed on the ramp areas surrounding the aircraft prior to departure.

Contributing factors

Effect on personnel