QF FA falls out of plane on tarmac

[thewinchester]

First on no news, but let's take ABC Online. Do hope they're Ok and pull through.

Flight attendant falls head-first from plane
By Kristy O'Brien, ABC
Updated Fri Mar 5, 2010 10:37am AEDT

A Qantas flight attendant has fallen from a plane and hit the tarmac while getting ready for take-off at an airport near Uluru, Northern Territory Police say.

Superintendent Bob Harrison says the flight attendant was trying to close the doors of the plane when she stumbled and fell at Yulara airport.

"All the passengers were seated in the plane," he said.

"The attendant was shutting the aircraft doors ready for take-off when the ground staff pulled the ramp out - the stairway ramp - and unfortunately the attendant lost her footing, falling head first from the aircraft around about three metres to the ground below."

The flight attendant was taken to the local medical centre and then flown to Alice Springs with minor injuries.

 

[anat0l]

Like I commented on the FT thread of the same topic, I can't believe the FA is still alive, let alone not even heavily concussed.

She fell head first, 3m to the ground. As this is the news we have no idea whether those are the exact details, but we all know how high a 737 is from door base to tarmac - did I mention she fell on the tarmac. People do not routinely fall from heights of 3m and come away with nary a scratch, much less head first and on tarmac.

I definitely hope she is OK. There is going (or should be) a very serious OHS incident report filed for this one.

 

[medhead]

Hope they are ok.

But 3m isn't that far to fall.plenty of cases of people falling that far and still being ok - Bill Leak for example. While it does say that the FA fell out head first that doesn't mean they landed head first. Minor injuries is what is reported as the result and that sounds about right for a fall from such a height. But the FA certainly didn't excape without scratch.

 

[samh004]

It doesn’t say, but surely the plane couldn’t leave as it didn’t have enough cabin crew then to operate?

And yes, terrible accident.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

It was a Qantas Link B717 operating as QF1854 AYQ/CNS with a crew comprising 2 pilots and 4 flight attendants employed by Cobham (formerly National Jet Systems).

It would appear that there has been a breach of standard operating procedures as the forward left door (which is always closed by a flight attendant) must always be closed & secured prior to the stairs being moved away.

I understand the ground staff concerned have been stood down without prejudice pending an investigation by QF & NT Work Safe.

The flight attendant who was training another crew member at the time sustained a broken wrist and sprained arm.

I'm sure everyone here would wish her a speedy recovery.

Oz

 

[rwatts]

Thanks for the details Oz.

As medhead points out, plenty of people survive 3m falls but on the other hand plenty don't. I'm alive because an organ donor sustained fatal head injuries from a ~2m fall.

I think the FA is rather lucky to have come off as (relatively) lightly as she did and join in wishing a speedy recovery.

Richard

 

[NM]

A most sad and unfortunate event indeed. Its been reported she fell "head first", but I expect that most people falling from such a position would instinctively protect their head by getting an arm or two out in front of the head. Perhaps she protected her head at the expense of a broken wrist and sprained arm. Hopefully she will have a speedy recovery with no lasting effects.

At least she will be able to tell the story of the day she fell out of an aircraft without a parachute and survived :shock:.