What happened
On August 3, 2025, at approximately 23:00 UTC, an Embraer ERJ190, registration LV-CHR, was parked at position 4 of the Libertador General José de San Martín International Airport in Posadas, Argentina. The aircraft, operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas, was prepared for a scheduled commercial flight to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires. At the time of the incident, passengers had been boarded and cargo was loaded. Ground equipment, including the rear stairs and baggage belts, had been removed, though the forward stairs remained in place.
Following clearance from maintenance personnel, ground crew began removing the wheel chocks, starting with the main gear and then the nose gear. Due to a gradient in the apron area, the aircraft began to roll backward once the chocks were removed. Ground personnel noticed the movement and immediately applied the nose gear chocks to stop the aircraft. However, the backward movement caused the lower frame of the forward passenger door to press against the remaining forward stairs, lifting the stairs slightly and preventing the door from being closed properly.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted as a desk inquiry, focused on the sequence of ground handling procedures and communication between the flight crew, maintenance, and ramp personnel. The JST examined the operational steps taken during the removal of ground equipment and the state of the aircraft's braking systems.
Findings
The investigation identified several critical failures in the ground handling process:
- The flight crew had not engaged the parking brake prior to the removal of the chocks.
- A communication breakdown occurred between the flight crew and maintenance personnel, leading to the unauthorized removal of the chocks.
- Ground equipment, specifically the forward stairs, had not been cleared from the safety zone before the chocks were removed.
- The physical movement of the aircraft was caused by the uneven surface of the parking stand.