Crew Member Injured

[Direct VTB]

Last night when we arrived in CFU, and after the pax disembarked, I walked out of the a/c and saw a TCX 757 standing behind us...

A female crew member was laying on her back on the apron.... I went back in to the Flight Deck and could hear that the F/D requested for an ambulance because a "crew member was severely injured"..... I looked out of our a/c and within minutes the ambulance was there, and after about 15 minutes the ambulance took her away..

Now I don't want to make a scene. But it seemed like she was quit badly injured cos there wasn't much movement to be seen....
I'm just curious if anyone knows what happened and how she's doing.. Hope she's doing ok.......

VTB

[Anti-ice]

Jeez, i hope she is ok too - this happens way too often

The 757 is high off the ground too, i'm guessing 4-5 metres.

I hope that she fell 'right' and i maybe guessing, but all too often it is because ground equipment pulls away without warning - or crewmembers step out onto the jetty to start pulling the heavy doors in.

Not good

[Sleeve Wing]

Have they still not considered a folding metal bar across aircraft exits, instead of a cloth tape or banner, when doors are open but stairs or vehicles are not in place ?
These accidents are so unnecessary and happen far too often.
Sincerely hope she's OK - but, Christ, its a long way to fall.

[Direct VTB]

1.2.Go

Thanks for the information.... Hopefully she'll recover nicely.... and be back on line soon....

Yes we arrived 20 min. early and we left about 50 min late... Because of the ground handlers being maxed out as you already mentioned....

I myself found that as soon as you start rushing things, an accident is bound to happen.... Especially in this business. take your time, and don't let anyone rush you... especially not for comercial reasons...........

VTB

[surely not]

I hope that the designers on the new A380 and 7E7 bear this sort of accident in mind when designing the door closing mechanism. It seems ridiculous to me that aircraft are still being built with a basic safety risk built in.

I wish the CC a speedy and full recovery.

[amanoffewwords]

How are aircraft designers going to prevent "steps being driven away"?

[Rwy in Sight]

Intresting we hold this conversation right now. I spoke with an Airbus guy at Farnborough and he pointed out that Airbus doors, because they don't swing around are safer than Boeing doors.

He also pointed out that the Ezy captain that got hurt in a similar maner in NCL was on a Boieng ac. So it seems Airbus doors are safer.

Anyway speedy discovery to the lady.

Rwy in Sight

[dallas dude]

Rwy in sight,

The AA flight attendant catapulted out of the AA A300 in MIA may have a beef with your statement-if he were still alive, that is!

ALL cabin doors are an accident waiting to happen if treated with anything less than the respect the perfect mousetrap deserves.

Sincerely hope the injured party fully recovers.

DD.

[Daysleeper]

So why don t more aeroplanes use the counterweighted up and over power doors.

Oh yes that would be cost. Cheaper to pay for a few broken hosties than cart all that extra weight around.

[toon]

manoffewwords, aircraft designers cannot stop speros driving away with his steps ! but i,m sure that they can offer a better solution to the current nylon tape that is fitted (fiddly) when they are removed, considering the weight of the doors on the 757,the angle the crew have to 'hang' out of the door to close it and the small lip at floor level, about 5mm (just enough to trip you up and out).

[BEagle]

Ground staff rushing around at a busy holiday destination such as Corfu (Kerkyra) is clearly dangerous, but is the practice of connecting a push back tug to the aircraft whilst pax are boarding considered acceptable? It surprised me to see this happen when I was boarding a BEA 146 at LHR last year - there was a significant jolt as the tug coupled up which could have caused unwary pax to fall off the entrance steps had it been a slightly bigger jolt!

I hope that the crew member makes a speedy recovery with no permanent effects.

[surely not]

Manoffewwords my point was that if the doors were designed more effectively the CC wouldn't feel the need to stand on the ground steps in the first place, thereby negating the risk if the steps were driven away.

[RAT 5]

As one has said, a staggering happening in this day and age. I spoke to an SEP trainer of another airline and their normal procedure is to close doors AFTER steps have been removed. This might have prevented this accident, but then you have the scenario of a slightly built C/A trying to close a heavy difficult door balanced high above concrete firma. Considering all the trivial B.S. that Health & Safety throw at us on a daily basis, this seems a mighty oversight. Or could it be that itn is ignored because there is no 'quick fix'. Imagine what would be required for this operation in other jobs; at least a safety harness for the operator.
From memories the metal strip on the bottom door frame of Boeings, no doubt to protect against the millions of SLC's that will use the a/c, becomes a skating rink with the slightest drop of water. Certainly I've seen C/A's using it to brace their foot against when closing the doors, and nearly launching themselves overboard when it was damp.
I wonder what the insurance claim will look like, and by whom.

[witchdoctor]

A very nasty accident indeed, and I wish her a speedy and full recovery.

It's only a matter of time before the next one. The girls/guys at Ryanair in particular are just asking for trouble as they have the doors open as soon as the a/c has come to a standstill and long before the steps are there. Fortunately it's not as far to fall from a 737 as a 757, but no comfort if you fall head first like the easyjet guy and have to kiss the career goodbye.

Be careful out there folks.

[spork]

Hard to believe from the H&S standpoint really. Immediate safety measures occur to me, such as a bleeper similar to those "vehicle reversing" ones, giving an audible warning that the steps are about to move? Also, a safety harness is by no means a silly idea. It's ludicrous that everyday events like this are not risk assessed and dealt with.

[ILPAAW]

one.two.go

Thanks for keeping a low profile, your a true team player.

Watch it.... outing is not on. Squid

[Windy Militant]

I rarely dip into these waters but here's my two n six pennorths. In my world Personal Protective Equipment and safety measures are a constant fact of life. I am amazed that with the type of gear that's readily available, which costs in airline terms peanuts, that this kind of thing is still going on. Fall restraint harnesses which are built into jackets and take as long to put on have been on the market for years now. As for steps, platforms etc a simple interlock system that cuts the ignition if the vehicle is moved without a bar or tape being closed at the working end would not cost that much to install.
But I guess life and limb still figure low with the blunties and bean counters.

I hope the CC involved makes a full recovery and the rest of you take care now.

[BEagle]

witchdoctor - in fact the Ryanair crews probably have the least to worry about as they and their handling teams are very used to quick turnrounds. Isn't it their normal practice to use the a/c air stairs as the 'normal' entrance/exit? No-one is going to drive off with those!

I don't agree with most of what Mo'L says, but the 'bollockology' (as he puts it) associated with positioning of jet piers for disembarkation is often ridiculous. As is often the case at BHX where the time taken to position a jet pier (despite all the yellow coats, silly beeping noises and other H&S triv) is often quite ridiculous.

Any update on the poor lass at Corfu?

[Sir Richard]

The simple solution to stop this sort of accident:

Spiros closes the door then drives the steps away!

(Unless of course, union rules prevent such multitasking)

[Bus429]

Daysleeper - you have probably hit the nail on the head. A modification or design change would have to bring proven financial justification or an overwhelming safety case (is there none greater than the subject of this topic, you may ask?).