A flight attendant reports that a passenger, who was carrying an infant, fell from the top of the sc...

Attributes
ACN	348062
Time
Date	199607
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 42
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	348062
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight XXXX ord-day. Our ATR42 and ATR72 aircraft have an 'auxiliary passenger assist handrail.' many of our planes do not have this handrail in working order. Therefore, only 1 side of the aircraft stairs is protected against passenger falling, stumbling, etc. While entering the aircraft I noticed that this aircraft had no assist RAIL available for use. This is a common occurrence. To my knowledge this carrier is certified to fly with only 1 integrated handrail and it is not necessary to defer or document the missing or inoperative rails. While deplaning, a passenger who was carrying an infant in a child restraint device, fell off the top of the aircraft stairs. Fortunately, there were airline personnel standing forward of the stairs to assist this passenger, preventing serious injury. Many of the ground personnel are not aware or willing to stand beside the stairs. Without a handrail on both sides of the aircraft stairs on the ATR42 and ATR72, our passenger are in danger of falling, stumbling, tripping. Etc. Those who are easily candidates for possible injury include: passenger with children and infants, rushed business people, senior citizens, and passenger with carry-on items. To correct this problem an integrated handrail should be installed or jet bridges should be used at all outstations. A quick temporary fix would be to fully instruct ground personnel to stand by the stairs to assist.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPTS THAT A PAX, WHO WAS CARRYING AN INFANT, FELL FROM THE TOP OF THE SCFT STAIRS WHILE DEPLANING. THE GND PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO ASSIST THE PAX SO THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED.

Narrative: FLT XXXX ORD-DAY. OUR ATR42 AND ATR72 ACFT HAVE AN 'AUX PAX ASSIST HANDRAIL.' MANY OF OUR PLANES DO NOT HAVE THIS HANDRAIL IN WORKING ORDER. THEREFORE, ONLY 1 SIDE OF THE ACFT STAIRS IS PROTECTED AGAINST PAX FALLING, STUMBLING, ETC. WHILE ENTERING THE ACFT I NOTICED THAT THIS ACFT HAD NO ASSIST RAIL AVAILABLE FOR USE. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS CARRIER IS CERTIFIED TO FLY WITH ONLY 1 INTEGRATED HANDRAIL AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO DEFER OR DOCUMENT THE MISSING OR INOP RAILS. WHILE DEPLANING, A PAX WHO WAS CARRYING AN INFANT IN A CHILD RESTRAINT DEVICE, FELL OFF THE TOP OF THE ACFT STAIRS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE AIRLINE PERSONNEL STANDING FORWARD OF THE STAIRS TO ASSIST THIS PAX, PREVENTING SERIOUS INJURY. MANY OF THE GND PERSONNEL ARE NOT AWARE OR WILLING TO STAND BESIDE THE STAIRS. WITHOUT A HANDRAIL ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT STAIRS ON THE ATR42 AND ATR72, OUR PAX ARE IN DANGER OF FALLING, STUMBLING, TRIPPING. ETC. THOSE WHO ARE EASILY CANDIDATES FOR POSSIBLE INJURY INCLUDE: PAX WITH CHILDREN AND INFANTS, RUSHED BUSINESS PEOPLE, SENIOR CITIZENS, AND PAX WITH CARRY-ON ITEMS. TO CORRECT THIS PROB AN INTEGRATED HANDRAIL SHOULD BE INSTALLED OR JET BRIDGES SHOULD BE USED AT ALL OUTSTATIONS. A QUICK TEMPORARY FIX WOULD BE TO FULLY INSTRUCT GND PERSONNEL TO STAND BY THE STAIRS TO ASSIST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A flight attendant reports that a passenger, who was carrying an infant, fell from the top of the scft stairs while deplaning. The ground personnel were able to assist the passenger so that no one was injured.