What happened
On January 12, 2024, at approximately 01:00, a Finnair flight operated by Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra) arrived at Jyväskylä Airport. The aircraft, an ATR 72-500, had landed from Helsinki roughly ten minutes earlier. Following the shutdown of the engines, ground personnel signaled to the cabin crew that the rear door could be opened.
As passengers began to disembark via the integrated airstairs, the fifth person to exit attempted to use the forward handrail for support while carrying luggage. During this movement, the forward handrail unexpectedly collapsed downward. The passenger lost their balance and fell from the top step of the stairs onto the apron, striking their head and side. The injured passenger was subsequently transported to the Central Finland Central Hospital for medical treatment.
The investigation
The investigation examined the operation of the rear door and handrail mechanism on several ATR 72-500 aircraft within the airline's fleet. Investigators found that the mechanism on the aircraft involved in the accident did not function as designed; even when the locking pin was not properly engaged, the railing remained in the upright position during the initial opening of the door. The railing only collapsed once it was subjected to weight or pressure.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the visual indicator for the locking pin—a red warning flag—remained in roughly the same position regardless of whether the pin was correctly installed or stored in its holder. This made it impossible for crew members to reliably verify the safety of the railing through visual inspection alone.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was that the cabin crew member failed to verify the handrail mechanism and left the locking pin in its storage holder instead of securing it to the mounting lug.
- A contributing factor to this oversight was a lack of situational awareness caused by distractions, including ground crew knocking on the door and the activation of emergency lights during engine shutdown.
- The mechanical stiffness of the railing mechanism on this specific aircraft allowed it to remain upright even when improperly secured, creating a false sense of security.
- The current cabin crew instructions regarding the door and locking pin are not optimized for a consistent and error-free procedural routine.
- There is a lack of specific manufacturer maintenance requirements regarding the functional testing of the handrail's movement and flexibility.