Narrative:

After block-in; while I was in the captain's seat; the flight engineer went to the aft of the aircraft to deploy (let down) the aft airstairs to gain access to the tail stand that is installed during loading and unloading to prevent tail tipping on the B727. Unfortunately; he failed to clear the area and inadvertently let the airstairs down on top of a ground worker's head; almost killing him. The airport's police and paramedics were called to assist the injured worker and he was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The complete nature of his injuries are not known but initially the paramedics told me possible concussion; broken jaw; broken neck; etc. He was knocked unconscious briefly from the episode but was conscious when they transported him to the hospital. The thing that is remarkable and incredible on this incident is the sheer lack of regard; sullenness; lack of empathy/sympathy for the injured worker on the flight engineer's part. Initially; before I knew what had happened and directly after the incident; he came to the cockpit actually laughing about 'something that had happened' -- nor did he have the decency to explain to me what had happened; but I had to 'find out for myself' by asking ramp personnel and paramedics and police. This flight engineer is a recent retiree from the military where he spent some 20 yrs in the C5A. He is having a difficult/impossible time of integrating into the private sector (commercial flying) and has an admitted 'hate' for superiors in the aircraft. He told us that in the military he would 'do his own thing' in the C5A and the aircraft commander couldn't tell him anything.' well; it doesn't work that way under part 121; and I am at a loss as to what to do next because the chief pilot at air carrier actually thinks he is great. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was the flight's captain whose stated purpose in filing this report was to get the air carrier's attention about this crew member's behavior and attitude. But ultimately he believes the cause of the accident was the flight engineer's left handedness. Because of the location of the B727-200's aft airstair handle; a r-handed person can lower the stair and easily look out to the aft of the aircraft as the stair descends. When a person lowers the airstair left handedly; they must face more forward; making it difficult to observe obstacles in the airstair's descent path. He said neither the FAA nor the NTSB has requested any information about this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FE OF A B727-200 LOWERED THE AFT AIRSTAIR ONTO A RAMP PERSON CAUSING UNCONSCIOUSNESS; CONCUSSION; NECK AND JAW INJURIES.

Narrative: AFTER BLOCK-IN; WHILE I WAS IN THE CAPT'S SEAT; THE FE WENT TO THE AFT OF THE ACFT TO DEPLOY (LET DOWN) THE AFT AIRSTAIRS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE TAIL STAND THAT IS INSTALLED DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING TO PREVENT TAIL TIPPING ON THE B727. UNFORTUNATELY; HE FAILED TO CLR THE AREA AND INADVERTENTLY LET THE AIRSTAIRS DOWN ON TOP OF A GND WORKER'S HEAD; ALMOST KILLING HIM. THE ARPT'S POLICE AND PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED TO ASSIST THE INJURED WORKER AND HE WAS PLACED ON A STRETCHER AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE COMPLETE NATURE OF HIS INJURIES ARE NOT KNOWN BUT INITIALLY THE PARAMEDICS TOLD ME POSSIBLE CONCUSSION; BROKEN JAW; BROKEN NECK; ETC. HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BRIEFLY FROM THE EPISODE BUT WAS CONSCIOUS WHEN THEY TRANSPORTED HIM TO THE HOSPITAL. THE THING THAT IS REMARKABLE AND INCREDIBLE ON THIS INCIDENT IS THE SHEER LACK OF REGARD; SULLENNESS; LACK OF EMPATHY/SYMPATHY FOR THE INJURED WORKER ON THE FE'S PART. INITIALLY; BEFORE I KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND DIRECTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT; HE CAME TO THE COCKPIT ACTUALLY LAUGHING ABOUT 'SOMETHING THAT HAD HAPPENED' -- NOR DID HE HAVE THE DECENCY TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED; BUT I HAD TO 'FIND OUT FOR MYSELF' BY ASKING RAMP PERSONNEL AND PARAMEDICS AND POLICE. THIS FE IS A RECENT RETIREE FROM THE MIL WHERE HE SPENT SOME 20 YRS IN THE C5A. HE IS HAVING A DIFFICULT/IMPOSSIBLE TIME OF INTEGRATING INTO THE PVT SECTOR (COMMERCIAL FLYING) AND HAS AN ADMITTED 'HATE' FOR SUPERIORS IN THE ACFT. HE TOLD US THAT IN THE MIL HE WOULD 'DO HIS OWN THING' IN THE C5A AND THE ACFT COMMANDER COULDN'T TELL HIM ANYTHING.' WELL; IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY UNDER PART 121; AND I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO NEXT BECAUSE THE CHIEF PLT AT ACR ACTUALLY THINKS HE IS GREAT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS THE FLT'S CAPT WHOSE STATED PURPOSE IN FILING THIS RPT WAS TO GET THE ACR'S ATTN ABOUT THIS CREW MEMBER'S BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE. BUT ULTIMATELY HE BELIEVES THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FE'S LEFT HANDEDNESS. BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE B727-200'S AFT AIRSTAIR HANDLE; A R-HANDED PERSON CAN LOWER THE STAIR AND EASILY LOOK OUT TO THE AFT OF THE ACFT AS THE STAIR DSNDS. WHEN A PERSON LOWERS THE AIRSTAIR LEFT HANDEDLY; THEY MUST FACE MORE FORWARD; MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO OBSERVE OBSTACLES IN THE AIRSTAIR'S DSCNT PATH. HE SAID NEITHER THE FAA NOR THE NTSB HAS REQUESTED ANY INFO ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.