# NTSB MIA03LA055: Aerospatiale ATR72-212, N448AM, San Juan, PR, February 8, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 8, 2003, 17:04 local (21:04 UTC) - Place: San Juan, PR - Coordinates: 18.438888, -66.001663 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.4389&lon=-66.0017&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/800) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 61 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56489 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA03LA055 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56489/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56489 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA03LA055 ## Probable cause The aft passenger stair handrail collapsing due to undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Miscellaneous/other, other - door,entrance stair - collapsed ## Analysis According the airline's director of safety, the airplane had arrived at the terminal and was in the process of deplaning. The director of safety further stated that as the as the 53rd passenger in the sequence of 58 passengers exited the airplane, she grabbed the handrail at the top of the stairs, and the handrail collapsed. He said the passenger fell from the top of the stairs to the ground, and sustained serious injuries. Postincident examination of the hand rail and its locking mechanism did not reveal any anomalies. ## Factual narrative On February 8, 2003, about 1704, Atlantic standard time, an Aerospatiale ATR 72-212, N448AM, registered to AMR Leasing Corporation, and operated by American Eagle Executive Airlines Inc., as flight 5131, a Title 14 CFR Part 121, scheduled international passenger flight, had a passenger that was injured while deplaning at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan had been filed. The airline transport-rated pilot, first officer, two flight attendants, and 57 passengers were not injured. One passenger received serious injuries. The flight originated from Christ Church, Barbados, the same day, about 1435. According the airline's director of safety, the airplane had arrived at the terminal and was in the process of deplaning. The director of safety further stated that as the as the 53rd passenger in the sequence of 58 passengers exited the airplane, she grabbed the handrail at the top of the stairs, and the handrail collapsed. He said the passenger fell from the top of the stairs to the ground, and sustained serious injuries. Postincident examination of the hand rail and its locking mechanism did not reveal any anomalies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N448AM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N448AM-2013-09-25), registration cancelled 2013-09-25, S/N 448 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale ATR72-212 - Registry model: [Aerospatiale ATR 72-212](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-atr-72-212) (registry code 8680945) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney 127](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-127) (registry code 52132, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Airframe hours: 16696 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127TM turbo prop; Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127TM turbo prop - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 121 - Operator: American Eagle Executive Airlines Inc., doing business as American Eagle - Registered owner: AMR Leasing Corporation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, January 12, 2003, 138 hours before - Departed: BGI, Barbados - Destination: SJU, San Juan, PR - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: SJU, Luis Munoz Marin International ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 29; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review January 12, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 4,600 total, 1,300 in this make and model, 3,400 as pilot in command, 140 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 30; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review November 22, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 1,700 total, 150 in this make and model, 1,100 as pilot in command, 135 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: SJU ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 30, 2004, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56489. 676 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 409 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208987&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: Company's Report on their examination of the locking pin (item 2, .PDF, 107 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208990&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports%3A%20Company%27s%20Report%20on%20their%20examination%20of%20the%20locking%20pin-Master.PDF - Other Pertinent Forms and Reports; Flight Attendant's Statement (item 3, .PDF, 106 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208992&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Other%20Pertinent%20Forms%20and%20Reports;%20Flight%20Attendant%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 4, .PDF, 53 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40208994&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.