- Date
- September 3, 2017, 18:04 local (22:04 UTC)
- Place
- Wilmington, DE
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N378QSCessna 680
- Defining event
- Standing: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 95958
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The passenger’s inadvertent slip on the airplane's air stairs during deplaning, which resulted in a broken ankle.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The director of aviation safety for the operator reported that, after landing, while parked at the ramp, the pilot-in-command exited the flight deck to open the cabin door. He added that the pilot "found the lead passenger standing in front of the main cabin door waiting to exit the aircraft." He further added that "…[the pilot] was able to open the door from this position, but did not have room to exit the aircraft ahead of the passenger," and as the passenger started down the airplane's air stairs, her foot slipped, she landed on her knees, and she caught her balance by grabbing onto the hand rails. A subsequent medical examination revealed that the passenger had broken her ankle. The director of aviation safety reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The director of aviation safety for the operator reported that after landing, while parked at the ramp, the pilot in command exited the flight deck to open the cabin door. He added that the pilot "found the lead passenger standing in front of the main cabin door waiting to exit the aircraft." He further added that, "he [the pilot] was able to open the door from this position, but did not have room to exit the aircraft ahead of the passenger," and as the passenger started down the airplane's air stairs, her foot slipped, she landed on her knees, and caught her balance by grabbing onto the hand rails. A subsequent medical examination revealed the passenger broke her ankle. The director of aviation safety did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N378QS
- Reported as
- Cessna 680 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 680-0103
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 9,410.1
- Engines
- P&W Canada PW-306C, 5,770 lbs thrust, turbo fanP&W Canada PW-306C, 5,770 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91 subpart K
- Operator
- Netjets Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Netjets Sales Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 21, 2017
- Departed
- JST · Johnstown, PA
- Destination
- ILG · Wilmington, DE
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ILG · New Castle
- Equipment
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 16, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 8,180 total · 4,275 in this make and model · 6,485 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 6,661 total · 3,868 in this make and model · 3,420 as pilot in command · 107 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KILG
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.