19990317041959A

(-23) privacy data omitted employee ^privac^, a 25 year old flight attendant either slipped or tripped while in the process of opening the main entry door of a B-737-300 for the purpose of boarding two late arriving passengers. Because there was no jet bridge nor boarding stairs in place, her footing was lost while in this process resulting in her tumbling from the aircraft head first to the ground below. Her head first fall was broken/cushioned by both outstretched arms; in doing so she sustained a compound fracture of the right wrist and a simple fracture of the bones in the left wrist. The subject also struck the side of her head which produced swelling but no serious injury to the cranium however, a concussion was sustained. (.4)+the flight attendant fell from the main cabin doorway of a Boeing 737, to the tarmac, while the airplane was parked. The airplane had been completely closed and the jetway pushed back in preparation for departure. An agent appeared at the end of the jetway, and asked if two additional passengers could board. The captain agreed to do so, and the agent proceeded back up the jetway to get the additional passengers, without moving the jetway b ack to the airplane. The flight attendant was advised of the situation. The captain then made a pre-departure announcement over the public address system, and when it was completed, a passenger advised him that the flight attendant had fallen from the airplane. At the time of the accident, the flight attendant had been flying with the company for 4 months. According to the airline's written procedures, the flight attendant was required to disarm, and 'crack' the cabin door, by rotating the handle enough to break the seal. The gate agent would have been responsible for actually opening the door. If the gate agent had specifically asked for assistance, then the flight attendant would have helped to open the cabin door.