Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure; Company Policy
We arrived at our assigned gate. I happened to be standing outside the main cabin door when a toddler stepped out of the plane onto the rubber bumper between the plane and jetway. She fell backward toward the widening gap forward of the main cabin door and the lower main door hinge.  I grabbed the young girl before she fell any further. I was frightened by what almost happened and stopped deplaning so the jetway could be moved closer. The Agent informed me that one to two inches was now the requirement by the company. I am writing this report to let someone know this may not be the best solution to prevent damage to an aircraft if we injure one passenger. Perhaps the jetway could have been positioned differently but; the way it was; this child could have fallen all the way to the ground. The gap forward of the main cabin door opened up an even greater distance than at the door opening.I recommend that when the jetway is placed at the main cabin door that no more than a one inch gap is between the plane and the jetway at not only the door opening but on both sides of the door as well for a foot in either direction.
The reporter stated that the toddler was falling backward toward her bottom and forward on her right side toward the aircraft's nose after stepping of the aircraft on the round; sloping section of the jetway bumper; then loosing her balance. The jetway was positioned per Company policy 2 inches from the fuselage in order to prevent damage to the aircraft door or pitot tubes should the jetway mechanism fail. In this instance; because the gap was wider toward the front of the aircraft than directly adjacent to the fuselage at the door the girl's backward motion and forward trajectory could have taken her completely out of the aircraft forward of the main cabin door in the area of pitot tubes.
An air carrier Captain grabbed a toddler who nearly fell through the opening between the rubber jetway bumper and the aircraft door frame because the gap between the two was too wide.