What happened
On January 13, 2020, at 07:04, a Finnair Airbus A320, registration OH-LXD, arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (EFHK) from Oulu. To expedite the disembarkation of passengers, ground operations had arranged for mobile stairs to be positioned at both the forward left and rear left doors. Due to heavy traffic, the forward stairs were delayed, resulting in all passengers exiting via the rear door into a waiting bus.
Once passengers had cleared the aircraft, the stair truck driver notified the crew that they were withdrawing the stairs. A cabin crew member, responsible for communicating with the ground staff, acknowledged the message and closed the aircraft door. The driver then secured the safety belts on the stairs and signaled to the bus driver that the process was complete. The driver then entered the cabin to begin retracting the stairs' stabilizers.
However, the bus could not immediately depart due to another aircraft taxiing nearby. A senior crew member noticed the bus was stationary and asked the cabin crew if an "OK" signal had been given to the bus driver. Realizing they had forgotten to provide this signal, a cabin crew member rushed to the rear left door, opened it, and stepped onto the upper platform of the mobile stairs to signal the driver.
Upon reaching the platform, the crew member realized the stair truck driver was unaware the door had been reopened. Fearing the driver might begin reversing the vehicle, the crew member attempted to return to the aircraft. As they were moving back toward the door, the stair truck began to reverse, causing the crew member to lose their balance and fall approximately 3.5 meters to the apron, resulting in serious injuries.
The investigation
The OTKES investigation examined the sequence of events, the communication between the aircraft crew and ground handlers, and the operational procedures in place at the time. The investigation focused on whether safety considerations were adequately addressed during the door operation and the coordination between the airline and its subcontractors. The investigators also reviewed the training provided to cabin crew regarding situational awareness and the specific instructions for ground handling equipment usage. \n## Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the lack of coordinated communication and situational awareness between the aircraft cabin crew and the ground service provider regarding the status of the aircraft door and the movement of the mobile stairs.
- There was a lack of clarity in the airline's manuals regarding the specific duties and areas of responsibility for cabin crew members during ground operations.
- Instructions and terminology used by different employee groups and subcontractors were inconsistent, leading to potential confusion during critical maneuvers.
- The crew member's decision to step onto the stairs to provide a signal was driven by the perceived need to complete the task, but the lack of a unified communication protocol meant the driver was unaware of the crew member's presence on the platform.