Description

On 12 December 2015, a Boeing 737-800 (EI-DLR) being operated by Ryanair on a domestic passenger flight from Seville to Barcelona as FR6399 which had just begun disembarking its passengers in normal night visibility conditions via an air bridge connected to door 1L, was lifted off its nose landing gear to a height of approximately 2 metres still attached to the air bridge until the door failed and the aircraft nose gear dropped back to the apron. Two of the 76 persons on board sustained minor injuries. Damage was caused to both the aircraft 1L door and the air bridge.

Investigation

A Serious Incident Investigation was carried out by the Spanish Commission for the Investigation of Accidents and Incidents (CIAIAC). The 30 year-old Captain was a Spanish national and had 7,400 hours total flying experience of which 6,200 hours were on type. The 24 year old First Officer was a Portuguese national and had 350 hours total flying experience of which 50 hours were on type.

It was noted that the event had occurred at gate 101 at Terminal 2, the older of the two terminals at Barcelona which is situated to the north of runway 25R. It was found that the air bridge at gate 101 had been installed in 1991 and its hydraulic system subsequently refurbished in 2001. Its screen and control panel were then renovated in 2005 and most recently, in June 2015, its translation and control system had been renovated as part of a larger programme of air bridge renovation being undertaken by a contractor to the Airport Operator AENA, the Spanish Airports and Air Navigation Authority.