What happened
On 13 June 2021, at approximately 23:21 local time, a Boeing 737-8AS, registration EI-ELE, was parked at stand 48 of Málaga Airport following a flight from Charleroi, Belgium. During the disembarkation process, a passenger fell from the penultimate step of the aircraft's integrated forward airstairs.
The passenger, a Belgian national, suffered a broken hip as a result of the fall. Airport medical services attended to the individual on-site before transferring them to a hospital via ambulance. While a companion suggested that the passenger's heart medication might have caused dizziness, medical examinations conducted by the airport service found no evidence to support this as the cause of the fall.
The investigation
The CIAIAC examined the safety features of the aircraft's integrated airstairs, the operator's disembarkation procedures, and the circumstances of the passenger's actions. The investigation reviewed the technical specifications of the Boeing 737 airstairs, noting that while FAA and EASA regulations do not strictly mandate specific requirements for integrated stairs, the operator had implemented several voluntary safety enhancements. These included the use of 3M Safety Walk 710 - Coarse non-skid material on the treads, the installation of retractable visual safety barriers, and the placement of warning signs on the step risers and door frames advising passengers to use the handrails.
Regarding procedures, the investigation noted that Ryanair's disembarkation announcements are made in English. The investigators also reviewed the passenger's actions, though they could not confirm if the passenger was holding the handrail at the moment of the fall, as no crew members witnessed the event and the passenger could not be reached for a statement.
Findings
- The operator had implemented all available safety measures to improve the security of the integrated airstair system.
- The passenger fell from the penultimate step of the aircraft's integrated airstairs.
- The investigation was unable to determine the specific cause of the accident.