Plane Crash List

Aerospatiale ATR72-212 N448AM

8 February 2003 · San Juan · Serious injuries

Summary

On 8 February 2003 at about 21:04 local time, a Aerospatiale ATR72-212 registered N448AM, operated by American Eagle Executive Airlines Inc., was involved in an accident near San Juan. 62 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 21:04
Classification
Accident
Location
San Juan
Nearest airport
Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU)
Coordinates
18.4389, -66.0017
Aircraft
Aerospatiale ATR72-212
Registration
N448AM
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
American Eagle Executive Airlines Inc.
Operating rule
Part 121: Air Carrier
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Barbados → San Juan
Aircraft damage
Not recorded
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
MIA03LA055

People

1 person was seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
62 0 1 0 61

Probable cause

The aft passenger stair handrail collapsing due to undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According the airline's director of safety, the airplane had arrived at the terminal and was in the process of deplaning. The director of safety further stated that as the as the 53rd passenger in the sequence of 58 passengers exited the airplane, she grabbed the handrail at the top of the stairs, and the handrail collapsed. He said the passenger fell from the top of the stairs to the ground, and sustained serious injuries. Postincident examination of the hand rail and its locking mechanism did not reveal any anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.