What happened
On 26 February 2019, a Boeing 737-8AS, registration EI-DPK, arrived at London Stansted Airport from Oslo. During the disembarkation process, passengers were using the aircraft's forward integral airstairs. As a child was exiting the aircraft accompanied by his family, he lost his grip on his father's hand and fell sideways from the top two or three steps. The fall occurred through a gap between the handrails. While the child was assessed by airport medical staff, he sustained only a minor injury and was able to continue his journey without further medical treatment.
The investigation
The AAIB launched an investigation after becoming aware of the event, noting that the flight crew were initially unaware of the fall and therefore had not filed an Air Safety Report. The investigation found that the aircraft's forward left door was not covered by airport CCTV, making it impossible to review the exact sequence of the fall.
Investigators examined the design of the Boeing 737 integral airstairs, which feature a two-rung handrail. Due to the mechanics of the retraction system, a gap exists between the top of these rails and the fuselage, which is typically bridged by manually extended handrails. The investigation also reviewed previous similar occurrences in Europe and the existing safety mitigations in place, such as anti-skid materials and warning placards.
Findings
- The child fell through a gap created by the geometric limitations of the airstair handrail design.
- The flight crew were unaware of the incident, which resulted in a delay in reporting the event to the relevant authorities.
- Although the operator had implemented anti-slip materials and warning placards, and had procedures for passenger announcements, the gap between the handrail and the fuselage remained a point of vulnerability.
- There are currently no specific airworthiness certification requirements for the design of integral airstubs in transport category aeroplanes.