Primary finding
Probable cause
an inadvertent fall out of the open service door because the safety strap was not attached.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
On February 19, 2013 at 3:20 pm eastern standard time, a flight attendant fell from an open service door on an Embraer E145, registration N283SK, at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 by Chautauqua Airlines as flight 6169, with an intended destination of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina. There were no other injuries to the three flight crew and 50 passengers, and no damage to the airplane. The airplane was stationary at the boarding gate and passengers were boarding the aircraft. The CVG weather observation at the time of the event reported wind from 260 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The flight attendant stated that after opening the door for the galley service crew, a gust of wind blew papers in the galley area and as she attempted to retrieve them, the wind blew her out the door. The safety strap had not been attached at the time of the event. The flight attendant experienced a serious injury to her vertebrae.
Source record
Factual narrative
On February 19, 2013 at 3:20 pm eastern standard time, a flight attendant fell from an open service door on an Embraer E145, registration N283SK, at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 by Chautauqua Airlines as flight 6169, with an intended destination of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina. There were no other injuries to the three flight crew and 50 passengers, and no damage to the airplane. The airplane was stationary at the boarding gate and passengers were boarding the aircraft. The CVG weather observation at the time of the event reported wind from 260 degrees at 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots. The flight attendant stated that after opening the door for the galley service crew, a gust of wind blew papers in the galley area and as she attempted to retrieve them, the wind blew her out the door. The safety strap had not been attached at the time of the event. The flight attendant experienced a serious injury to her vertebrae.