A DORNIER 328J ON GATE HAD BAGGAGE LOADED PRIOR TO PAX BOARDING AFFECTING NOSE UP ATTITUDE RESULTING IN ELEVATED AIRSTAIR CAUSING INJURY TO AN ELDERLY PAX.

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DURING THE 'TURN CHKLIST' WE NOTICED AN AMBER 'PROXY SYS FAIL' EICAS MESSAGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE NOTICED THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL HAD LOADED ALL THE BAGGAGE IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WHILE NO PAX HAD BOARDED YET. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY TAIL HEAVY AT THE MOMENT CAUSING THE NOSE LNDG GEAR STRUT TO BE ELONGATED AND THE MESSAGE WOULD PROBABLY CLR AFTER PAX HAD BOARDED. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT. PAX HAD BEGUN BOARDING AT THIS POINT BUT THEY WERE SEATED IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE ACFT. VERY SOON AFTER WE NOTICED THAT A FEMALE PAX HAD FALLEN WHILE TRYING TO CLB THE AIRSTAIRS. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED BOARDING; DEPLANED AND HAD ALL THE BAGS REMOVED. WHEN I PREVIOUSLY HAD WALKED INTO THE OPS AND RETURNED; I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE AIRSTAIRS. BY THE TIME THE PAX FELL AND I WENT OUTSIDE I NOTICED THAT THE FIRST STEP SEEMED A FEW INCHES HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE PAX WHO FELL WAS A 77 YEAR-OLD FEMALE. HER INJURIES WERE NOTHING MORE THAN CUTS AND SCRAPES. SHE ATTEMPTED TO REBOARD THE ACFT A FEW MINS LATER BEFORE SHE WAS STOPPED BY RAMP PERSONNEL.