What happened
On 9 November 1997, during a public transport operation at Gatwick Airport, an incident occurred involving a Boeing 767, registration S7 AAS. While the aircraft was being prepared for departure, the pushback crew received authorization from an aircraft steward to begin the removal of the rear steps.
As the steps were being moved a short distance away from the aircraft, a security guard fell from the rear door area. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and the guard was subsequently transported to a hospital to treat serious injuries to her back.
The investigation
Following the incident, the handling agent conducted an internal investigation into the sequence of events. The inquiry focused on the state of the aircraft door and the safety protocols in place during the removal of the boarding equipment. The investigation established that the rear door had not been properly secured prior to the commencement of the step removal process.