Corrected entry: When the passengers are in a blind panic getting away from the snakes, the stairs break so they block the hole using the inflatable boat. Later on when the plane has landed, everyone walks down the same flight of stairs - which are perfectly intact.
Xofer
9th Sep 2006
Correction: The stairs themselves don't break; the railing does, due to the weight of the people leaning on it.
Xofer