Narrative:

During the 'turn checklist' we noticed an amber 'proxy system fail' EICAS message. Upon further investigation we noticed that the ramp personnel had loaded all the baggage in the cargo compartment while no passenger had boarded yet. Maintenance informed me that the aircraft was probably tail heavy at the moment causing the nose landing gear strut to be elongated and the message would probably clear after passenger had boarded. I returned to the aircraft. Passenger had begun boarding at this point but they were seated in the aft section of the aircraft. Very soon after we noticed that a female passenger had fallen while trying to climb the airstairs. I immediately stopped boarding, deplaned and had all the bags removed. When I previously had walked into the operations and returned, I did not notice anything unusual about the height of the airstairs. By the time the passenger fell and I went outside I noticed that the first step seemed a few inches higher than normal. The passenger who fell was a 77 year-old female. Her injuries were nothing more than cuts and scrapes. She attempted to reboard the aircraft a few mins later before she was stopped by ramp personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DORNIER 328J ON GATE HAD BAGGAGE LOADED PRIOR TO PAX BOARDING AFFECTING NOSE UP ATTITUDE RESULTING IN ELEVATED AIRSTAIR CAUSING INJURY TO AN ELDERLY PAX.

Narrative: DURING THE 'TURN CHKLIST' WE NOTICED AN AMBER 'PROXY SYS FAIL' EICAS MESSAGE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE NOTICED THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL HAD LOADED ALL THE BAGGAGE IN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WHILE NO PAX HAD BOARDED YET. MAINT INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS PROBABLY TAIL HEAVY AT THE MOMENT CAUSING THE NOSE LNDG GEAR STRUT TO BE ELONGATED AND THE MESSAGE WOULD PROBABLY CLR AFTER PAX HAD BOARDED. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT. PAX HAD BEGUN BOARDING AT THIS POINT BUT THEY WERE SEATED IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE ACFT. VERY SOON AFTER WE NOTICED THAT A FEMALE PAX HAD FALLEN WHILE TRYING TO CLB THE AIRSTAIRS. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED BOARDING, DEPLANED AND HAD ALL THE BAGS REMOVED. WHEN I PREVIOUSLY HAD WALKED INTO THE OPS AND RETURNED, I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF THE AIRSTAIRS. BY THE TIME THE PAX FELL AND I WENT OUTSIDE I NOTICED THAT THE FIRST STEP SEEMED A FEW INCHES HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE PAX WHO FELL WAS A 77 YEAR-OLD FEMALE. HER INJURIES WERE NOTHING MORE THAN CUTS AND SCRAPES. SHE ATTEMPTED TO REBOARD THE ACFT A FEW MINS LATER BEFORE SHE WAS STOPPED BY RAMP PERSONNEL.

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.