Flight attendant hurt in plane steps fall at East Midlands Airport

A member of cabin crew was seriously injured when mobile steps to an aircraft were prematurely moved, an investigation has found.

The accident happened as the door on the TUI flight was being closed as it prepared to depart East Midlands Airport (EMA) for Lanzarote on 16 December 2024.

The report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found ground staff believed it was safe to move the steps – because they mistook a trainee walking away for a member of staff who was still assisting cabin crew.

It noted that since the accident, both the ground handling company, Swissport, and TUI have taken safety action to address issues raised in the investigation.

A dispatcher on the steps to the aircraft had managed to hold on, but the cabin crew member – who had begun to close the aircraft door – fell through the gap on to a ramp.

She was seriously injured, with multiple broken bones, and needed “a significant period of recovery”, according to investigators.

The report said there were two types of ground staff involved – dispatchers, who oversaw arrivals and departures, and ramp staff – who unloaded baggage and moved the passenger steps.

At the time of the accident, the investigation found, two dispatchers – a trainee and a more experienced colleague – had been on board the aircraft to complete paperwork.

A third dispatcher from a separate flight had offered to help ramp staff, as the service was already running late.

The AAIB said when the trainee came down the steps, it was assumed the aircraft door had been closed and it was safe for the steps to be moved.

The report said: “The step removal process was conducted in a way that was not consistent with the written policy and had insufficient safeguards to prevent movement of the steps with people on them or the door still open.

“The presence of multiple dispatchers, without the ramp team knowing who the official dispatcher was, set the conditions for this event to occur.

“The step removal procedure required that the ramp staff check that there were no personnel on the steps before the stabilisers were retracted, but the procedures did not specify how this was to be performed nor who was responsible for it.”

The AAIB noted Swissport had undertaken extensive retraining and an overhaul of procedures.

TUI had issued updated advice for staff, focusing on keeping both feet in the aircraft while closing doors.

It has been approached for comment following the release of the report.

In a statement, Swissport said: “Safety is our number one priority. We have fully collaborated with the AAIB’s thorough investigation process and are pleased that it concluded by accepting that our internal action plan was appropriate and robust.”

A spokesperson for EMA said: “East Midlands Airport has supported the AAIB and other regulatory bodies throughout this investigation.

“Our involvement in the incident was limited to air traffic control initiating a callout to our fire service, which attended as first responders.”