What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During the aircraft arrival sequence, the aircraft experienced a fault with the APU electrical system and required an external power source prior to shutting down both engines. The flight crew shutdown the number 2 (right) engine and the number 1 (left) engine remained running. Once the aircraft came to a stop, the marshaller displayed the stop signal, and the appropriate agent placed the nose chocks. The marshaller then gave the hand signal to the flight crew indicating that the aircraft was chocked and lowered his hands. At this point, standard procedure is for the wing walkers to wait for a clear signal before approaching the aircraft.
The ramp agent at the left side of the aircraft either misunderstood the signals or mistakenly thought they had received the all-clear signal. The agent either did not see that the rotating beacon was still illuminated or understand the illuminated rotating beacon was an indicator the engine(s) were running. The agent approached the aircraft from behind the left (number 1) engine with chocks in hand. The lead agent for the arrival attempted to radio the ramp agent to stop their approach. No one was able to physically intervene. Witnesses observed the ramp agent forcefully pushed down by the engine exhaust. The injured agent’s radio appeared tangled around their waist, and they landed face-first on the ground, appearing to bounce slightly on impact. The injured agent then crawled away from the aircraft and looked very disoriented. The injured agent was transported in a company vehicle to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.
As the FAA filed it
DURING THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVAL SEQUENCE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A FAULT WITH THE APU ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND REQUIRED AN EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE PRIOR TO SHUTTING DOWN BOTH ENGINES. THE FLIGHT CREW SHUTDOWN THE NUMBER 2 (RIGHT) ENGINE AND THE NUMBER 1 (LEFT) ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, THE MARSHALLER DISPLAYED THE STOP SIGNAL, AND THE APPROPRIATE AGENT PLACED THE NOSE CHOCKS. THE MARSHALLER THEN GAVE THE HAND SIGNAL TO THE FLIGHT CREW INDICATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CHOCKED AND LOWERED HIS HANDS. AT THIS POINT, STANDARD PROCEDURE IS FOR THE WING WALKERS TO WAIT FOR A CLEAR SIGNAL BEFORE APPROACHING THE AIRCRAFT.
THE RAMP AGENT AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT EITHER MISUNDERSTOOD THE SIGNALS OR MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THEY HAD RECEIVED THE ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL. THE AGENT EITHER DID NOT SEE THAT THE ROTATING BEACON WAS STILL ILLUMINATED OR UNDERSTAND THE ILLUMINATED ROTATING BEACON WAS AN INDICATOR THE ENGINE(S) WERE RUNNING. THE AGENT APPROACHED THE AIRCRAFT FROM BEHIND THE LEFT (NUMBER 1) ENGINE WITH CHOCKS IN HAND. THE LEAD AGENT FOR THE ARRIVAL ATTEMPTED TO RADIO THE RAMP AGENT TO STOP THEIR APPROACH. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO PHYSICALLY INTERVENE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE RAMP AGENT FORCEFULLY PUSHED DOWN BY THE ENGINE EXHAUST. THE INJURED AGENT’S RADIO APPEARED TANGLED AROUND THEIR WAIST, AND THEY LANDED FACE-FIRST ON THE GROUND, APPEARING TO BOUNCE SLIGHTLY ON IMPACT. THE INJURED AGENT THEN CRAWLED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND LOOKED VERY DISORIENTED. THE INJURED AGENT WAS TRANSPORTED IN A COMPANY VEHICLE TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION AND TREATMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.