What happened
On the night of 11 July 2011, a Boeing 737-80/800 operated by Ryanair, registration EI-DHG, arrived at Skavsta airport in Sweden from Ibiza. As the flight was concluding, a family remained on board briefly to allow their four-year-old son to view the cockpit.
During the disembarkation process, the mother descended the aircraft's integrated air stairs ahead of the child to act as a safeguard. While attempting to navigate the steps, the child lost his balance and fell through a gap located between the upper and lower handrails. The child fell approximately 150 cm to the concrete parking area, striking his head on the ground. The incident resulted in head injuries to one passenger, requiring hospital observation.
The investigation
The Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) examined the design of the aircraft's folding air stairs and the safety procedures in place at the time. The investigation noted that the distance between the two handrails was 29.5 cm, while the gap between the steps and the lower handrail measured 21.5 cm.
Investigators also reviewed the operator's communication protocols. While the airline utilized public announcements to instruct passengers to hold children's hands during boarding and disembarking, the parents of the child involved did not recall hearing this specific instruction. The investigation also noted that while a similar incident involving a different stair design had occurred in Great Britain in 2009, the specific design of the stairs on EI-DHG was not subject to the same recent modifications implemented after that event.