- Date
- September 2, 2003, 13:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hebron, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 23 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N413FJFairchild Dornier 328-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20030902036869A
- Case key
- 57844
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 fall while attempting to board. A factor was the lack of a company requirement for a person to assist passengers in boarding the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The passenger attempted to board the airplane. After she raised her foot to step on the first step of the air stair door, she placed her foot back on the ground and lost her balance. Measurements of the step revealed its height above the ground varied between 10.25 inches and 12.75 inches depending upon passenger and baggage load. The air stair door was equipped with a single hand rail on the right side of the stairs which did not extend to the bottom step. The company station manual required a person to standby at the bottom of the stairs to assist on passenger deplaning; however, this was not required for passenger boarding.
Factual narrative
On September 2, 2003, about 1340 eastern daylight time, a passenger was seriously injured while attempting to board a Fairchild Dornier 328-300, N413FJ, operated by Atlantic Coast Airlines as flight 6204. There were no injuries to the 2 certificated pilots, 1 flight attendant and 20 passengers. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the scheduled passenger flight. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed, for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121.
According to the passenger, she raised her left foot to reach the first step on the airplane, and then retracted her foot to place it on the ground. In the process, she lost her balance, fell, and fractured her left wrist.
According to the manager of safety for Atlantic Coast Airlines, the airplane was equipped with an airstair door on the left side of the fuselage forward of the wing. The stairs were an integral part of the door. The height of the first step on the airplane measured between 10.25 inches and 12.75 inches above the ground, depending up the baggage and passenger load. The space between steps, after the first step was 6.75 inches. In addition, the handrail was on the right side of the stairs, and did not extend to the length of the stairs.
In addition, the manager of safety for Atlantic Coast Airlines reported that their station manual required a person to be present at the bottom of the stairs when passengers were deplaning, but there was no requirement for a person to be there during passenger boarding.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N413FJ
- Reported as
- Fairchild Dornier 328-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3168
- Airframe hours
- 6,111
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney 306B, 6,050 lbs thrust, turbo fanPratt & Whitney 306B, 6,050 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Operator
- Atlantic Coast Airlines, doing business as Atlantic Coast Airlines
- Registered owner
- Union National Bank
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 21, 2003 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- Hebron, KY
- Destination
- TOL · Toledo, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CVG · Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,100 total · 845 in this make and model
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,030 total · 1,060 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- CVG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.