What happened
On September 23, 2008, at approximately 09:06, a serious ground incident occurred at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. An Embraer 170, registration OH-LEK, operated by Finnair, was parked at stand 127. While the aircraft's right engine was still running, a ramp worker attempted to place a plastic safety cone in front of the engine. To reach the position, the worker moved from the port side to the starboard side by passing underneath the aircraft fuselage.
During this movement, the worker was caught in the engine's suction zone. The force of the engine pulled the plastic cone from the worker's hands and the hearing protection from his head into the engine, where both items were destroyed. The worker managed to escape the suction and sustained no injuries. The engine remained flightworthy following inspection and cleaning. Notably, the aircraft's red beacon lights were still illuminated at the time of the incident.
The investigation
The investigation established that the right engine had been left running specifically to avoid the unnecessary use of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) while connecting a ground power cable. The investigation also found that the ground handler, Northport Oy, had several organizational deficiencies. It was noted that the ramp worker's training programs did not meet the minimum requirements set by the airline, and training records were not up to date. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the airport operator, Finavia, had not audited the ground handler's operations in accordance with required aviation regulations prior to the event.
Findings
The immediate cause of the incident was the ramp worker entering the danger zone of a running jet engine. The worker had observed the left engine shutting down and incorrectly assumed the right engine had also been turned off. Additionally, the worker failed to verify that the red beacon lights were extinguished, which would have indicated the engines were still operational.
Contributing factors included:
- A lack of coordination between the airline and the ground handling company.
- Inadequate training regarding occupational safety and human factors.
- Deficiencies in the company's internal supervision and oversight.
- Established practices on the apron that allowed personnel to enter danger zones while engines were running.
- A recent change in airline instructions regarding engine shutdown procedures that had not been properly communicated.