Jetliner’s Stairs Pop Open During Flight

A stairwell on a TWA jet popped open during a flight, and a crew member with a tether around his waist to keep him from being swept out had to pull the hatch closed. None of the 72 people aboard were hurt and the plane landed safely in San Antonio.

The Boeing 727 from St. Louis was flying at 35,000 feet, at least 100 miles from its destination of San Antonio on Tuesday night when a cockpit light indicated the rear stairway under the tail was open. The crew discovered it had dropped about 2 feet.

A bulkhead door between the stairway and the passenger compartment prevented the cabin from losing air pressure.

The captain took the plane down to 3,000 feet to permit depressurization. A crew member who was tethered by a rope and perhaps seat belts then reached behind the bulkhead door, grabbed the stairway handle and pulled the stairs shut, TWA spokesman John McDonald said.

“My understanding is that they had something around his waist that they simply were holding onto . . . as a precaution when that door was open,” he said.

The stairway latch wouldn’t work, so the crew member used a rope from the cockpit to secure it, McDonald said. Passengers were moved away from the rear door.