Narrative:

During the deplaning of passenger onto the air stairs; the first flight attendant noticed the step down from the airplane onto the stairs was quite steep and getting steeper. He asked the gate agent to raise the air stairs. The gate agent got someone from the ramp to try and raise the level of the air stairs so that the step down from the airplane was not so steep. The ramp person pumped the jack on the air stair to raise the level of the air stair. After raising the air stair to nearly level; the gate agent began unloading passenger again. I went out on the air stair to say goodbye and assist passenger in deplaning. After approximately 5 mins on the air stair assisting passenger deplane; I noticed the air stair start to slowly lower and then it suddenly collapsed falling about 3 ft. I held onto the air stair RAIL as it collapsed. 1 lady fell and complained of a sore right ankle. She was assisted by several personnel including the gate agent and myself before medical personnel arrived. She was not moved and did not appear in pain. Medical personnel immobilized the ankle and took her away in an ambulance. We then unloaded the rest of the passenger through the rear of the plane with the old air stairs that are mounted on a truck. I noticed after the incident that the safety pins were not installed to lock the air stairs in place. Supplemental information from acn 790554: I was in the cockpit getting ready for the next leg. All of a sudden I heard a crash to the ground and some screaming. The lead flight attendant yelled to me to call the paramedics; the ramp just 'gave way.' I called station operations with no luck. I then called ground control and declared to them we had a medical emergency on board and to roll the ambulance. They responded immediately and they were on scene in less than 1 min.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR STAIRS FAIL WHILE PAX ARE DEPLANING A319. AT LEAST ONE PAX INJURED.

Narrative: DURING THE DEPLANING OF PAX ONTO THE AIR STAIRS; THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED THE STEP DOWN FROM THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE STAIRS WAS QUITE STEEP AND GETTING STEEPER. HE ASKED THE GATE AGENT TO RAISE THE AIR STAIRS. THE GATE AGENT GOT SOMEONE FROM THE RAMP TO TRY AND RAISE THE LEVEL OF THE AIR STAIRS SO THAT THE STEP DOWN FROM THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT SO STEEP. THE RAMP PERSON PUMPED THE JACK ON THE AIR STAIR TO RAISE THE LEVEL OF THE AIR STAIR. AFTER RAISING THE AIR STAIR TO NEARLY LEVEL; THE GATE AGENT BEGAN UNLOADING PAX AGAIN. I WENT OUT ON THE AIR STAIR TO SAY GOODBYE AND ASSIST PAX IN DEPLANING. AFTER APPROX 5 MINS ON THE AIR STAIR ASSISTING PAX DEPLANE; I NOTICED THE AIR STAIR START TO SLOWLY LOWER AND THEN IT SUDDENLY COLLAPSED FALLING ABOUT 3 FT. I HELD ONTO THE AIR STAIR RAIL AS IT COLLAPSED. 1 LADY FELL AND COMPLAINED OF A SORE R ANKLE. SHE WAS ASSISTED BY SEVERAL PERSONNEL INCLUDING THE GATE AGENT AND MYSELF BEFORE MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARRIVED. SHE WAS NOT MOVED AND DID NOT APPEAR IN PAIN. MEDICAL PERSONNEL IMMOBILIZED THE ANKLE AND TOOK HER AWAY IN AN AMBULANCE. WE THEN UNLOADED THE REST OF THE PAX THROUGH THE REAR OF THE PLANE WITH THE OLD AIR STAIRS THAT ARE MOUNTED ON A TRUCK. I NOTICED AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THE SAFETY PINS WERE NOT INSTALLED TO LOCK THE AIR STAIRS IN PLACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 790554: I WAS IN THE COCKPIT GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT LEG. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A CRASH TO THE GND AND SOME SCREAMING. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT YELLED TO ME TO CALL THE PARAMEDICS; THE RAMP JUST 'GAVE WAY.' I CALLED STATION OPS WITH NO LUCK. I THEN CALLED GND CTL AND DECLARED TO THEM WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD AND TO ROLL THE AMBULANCE. THEY RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND THEY WERE ON SCENE IN LESS THAN 1 MIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.