The TUI flight attendant was seriously injured after falling from the aircraft at East Midlands Airport. The crew member was closing the aircraft’s front door when she fell
A TUI flight attendant suffered serious injuries after a horrific fall from a TUI aircraft at East Midlands Airport (EMA). The senior crew member, who boasted over 36 years of experience, was securing the aircraft’s front door when she placed her left foot on the steps.
The steps were then moved away from the plane and, despite her attempts to grip onto the door, the woman plummeted through the gap onto the tarmac below. She sustained multiple fractures and needed an extensive recovery period, according to a report released by the government’s Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) on Thursday.
The incident took place on December 16, 2024, with the delayed flight destined for Lanzarote in Spain, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
The AAIB investigation discovered that the step removal happened despite the aircraft door remaining open.
The primary dispatcher was also still positioned at the top of the stairs to hand over paperwork to the flight crew, but managed to grip the side rail to avoid falling.
Three dispatchers in total, who are tasked with coordinating the aircraft on the ground, were present, alongside four ramp staff members, also responsible for ground handling.
The AAIB noted that “it was not clear who had responsibility for checking that the aircraft door was closed and steps were clear.”
One of the dispatchers was already positioned at the bottom of the steps, whilst a second had just descended them when the ramp staff assumed the door closure was finished and the steps could be withdrawn from the aircraft. The dispatcher, already positioned at the base of the steps, started withdrawing the stabiliser legs from the front steps in preparation for their removal.
Two ramp agents then commenced pushing the steps away from the aircraft ‘rapidly’ as it was presumed “activities in the aircraft were complete and the cabin door was closed.”
Regarding one of the ramp staff members, the AAIB report states: “He looked up and could not see any light coming from the cabin and so he felt sure that the door was closed.
“He released the steps’ hand brake and together with the fourth member of the ramp team began to push the steps away from the aircraft.
“He heard what he thought was the team leader shouting to stop and he turned around to see the flight attendant laying on the ramp and the passenger door open.”
The AAIB investigation discovered that door closure and step removal had been the subject of a “procedural workaround” at EMA and other UK airports where the ground handling company, which was not identified in the report, operated.
The report reveals: “The dispatch and ramp staff were using a procedural workaround where the dispatcher was at the top of the steps completing the door closure procedure for which he was not qualified or approved.
“The workaround meant that the ramp staff who were qualified to operate the steps were under the platform close to the aircraft rather than one of them completing the door closure at the top of the steps which was the approved procedure.
“The practice was so commonplace that even those who were aware it was not allowed did not see a need to challenge it or report it as a safety concern.”
The authority added that the procedure had been in place “for many years” and had not been identified in audits.
An EMA spokesperson said: “East Midlands Airport has supported the AAIB and other regulatory bodies throughout this investigation. Our involvement in the incident was limited to Air Traffic Control initiating a call-out to our Fire Service, which attended as First Responders.
“East Midlands Airport has robust emergency procedures in place, and these were followed during the incident. The report acknowledges that while our Fire Service could have arrived sooner had the pilot declared an emergency, the response time ultimately made little difference in this case.
“We remain fully committed to working collaboratively with all operators on the airport to help prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. We extend our best wishes to the cabin crew member who was injured and sincerely hope they have made a full recovery.”
The AAIB confirmed that both the ground handling company and the operator took safety action to address the issues raised in the investigation.
It stated: “After the accident the ground handling company issued a safety alert setting out that only qualified ramp staff are to interact with the steps and that dispatchers are not permitted to position or retract the side rails or adjust the stabilisers.
“The ground handling company now require the aircraft dispatcher to attend the team leader’s short briefing to the ramp team before the turnaround begins so that all ramp team members are aware of who the dispatcher is for that flight.”
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