Belgian Onur Air pilot dies after falling onto apron

[crewmeal]

Regardless of aircraft type there are procedures to go through when opening and in this case closing a door. What went wrong in Amman?

Onur Air pilot dies after falling onto apron

An Onur Air pilot who fell onto the apron while trying to close the front door of his plane died in Amman shortly before the flight was due to depart for İstanbul on Tuesday evening.
Olivier Mester, a Belgian national, fell from the plane while closing the front door shortly before the plane's scheduled flight from Amman. Emergency medical teams rushed to the scene, but were unable to save the pilot.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Onur Air officials confirmed one of their pilots died at 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

“The injured pilot was first attended to by technical staff who were standing on the apron preparing the plane for takeoff. They immediately informed paramedics about the incident. The injured pilot was taken to hospital after being attended to by medical response teams at the scene, but he could not be saved.”

Mester, 56 years old, had worked for Onur Air since 2009. His body was repatriated late on Wednesday.

[captplaystation]

Not the 1st, nor probably the last, to fall foul of something much more dangerous than the man in the street can probably fathom.
Proper technique absolutely essential whilst performing this task.
A few people injured badly too, falling between aircraft/catering trucks/jetways.

[seckin]

Onur air and procedures

[Tinribs]

Same thing happened to BMI at LHR years ago

Captain standing in forward galley steps back onto catering truck ramp to allow space for pretty girl to show him where tea is kept on this one

Catering truck left two minutes ago

Report says " Captain found unconscious next to aircraft" bit unfair really

[FCeng84]

Routine breeds complacency

I don't know the details of any of the specific events mentioned in this thread, but it is my experience in life that anything that becomes routine is an opportunity for an accident in that we have a tendency to let our guard down when the situation seems particularly familiar. As examples, the only at fault car accidents that I have been involved in have been when I was not paying sufficient attention to the driving task at hand.

[Basil]

Doors are dangerous - please treat them with respect.
Recollect doing walkround on B747. CC had opened door and permitted a couple of pax to stand having a smoke.
In that company, at that time, smoking on ground with doors open not permitted BUT OK with permission of captain with doors closed.
The guard tape had been placed across but that's really for professionals whilst turning the a/c round.
A little kid would have gone right under and, on a B747, it's a LONG WAY to the ground - you're dead.

The unthinking girl was not best pleased when I pointed out the possible consequences. Before anyone thinks I'm CC bashing; has Basil ever done anything stupid? Oh yes, yes, and yes again . . . !

[red 7]

And people laugh at Big Airways when we say there is no way ever that any aircraft door can be opened unless a truck or steps/airbridge is in place,

Stops tragic things like this....

[blind pew]

Steward died after falling off stairs positioned on a Trident in Rome when guard rail collapsed which hadn't been secured.
Irish accident report a couple of years ago where girl lost a leg because of incorrectly positioned air stairs.
After the report was published flew into Eidw as SLF late at night during near gale to disembark on stairs without jacks screwed down.Stairs rocking side to side. My report ignored and eventually spoke to the ops inspector who considered that I have an axe to grind against carrier.
Don't as my wife is flying with them next week but do have a grudge against authorities who could do more to prevent such tragedies.

[Typhoon650]

I never left an aircraft before ensuring the door was back in the cracked position. I can't fathom any operation that wouldn't have that as SOP.
I also saw a cabin attendant open a rear door on a 737 one time after a set of air starts had blown away and I was frantically trying to push them back into place with my offsider (we weren't involved in ramp duties, just happened to see it happen and realise it was dangerous due to the door being in the cracked position to keep out rain).
Anyway, the attendant threw the door open and all but stepped out onto the top landing that wasn't there....never assume when working at heights and always ensure your next step can take your weight before moving forward when crossing gaps.
As the old marine saying goes "one hand for the boat".

[Trolle]

At a US airline had a flight deck member fall out of a regional jet that does not have stairs installed. The mobile stairs had just been removed, the door was open, and the crew were doing stuff in the cabin (not with pax aboard) and the captain fell backwards out of the opening. Broke a bone or two but otherwise fine. So, these things do happen.

[Loose rivets]

The Viscount was high for its day, and the girls used to have to reach round for the door open latch - after the steps had been hauled away.

[mitzy69]

falling from doors on aicraft

know a few catering people fall from a B747 door height whilst trying to open the door from the catering truck, they both died.

[AirWasp]

Not quite 'on thread' but seeing as stairs have been mentioned ...

I recall the inaugural Polar Air flight into MAN .... the aircraft pulled hard left to park on Cargo Ramp and I assume there was a slope as he had to engage a bit of thrust .... not taking into account the aircraft parked behind him at the Pax Terminal ...

A set of steps that had been full of boarding passengers only minutes before were blown over completely ... luckily no-one was injured

Being a mere 'freightdog' I never did hear what happened !

[Lord Amberden]

I was in Rome last year and our Swiss colleagues on the next stand had both service doors open, in complete breach of SOPs and any thought with regard to common sense.

[scrubba]

Breach of whose SOPs?

Lord Amberden,

I'm confused. Whose SOPs were breached?

And is there some rule about how many doors can be open at the same time?

[Lord Amberden]

To clarify, both service doors were open, but with no steps in place.

[stator vane]

rules are just rules...taking thought and care is an action...

it was a loss for the pilot to fall...but what new rules can be added onto the already too long list when one falls down the steps and hurts themselves? getting out of bed has it's risks...as well as staying in bed...

[reracked]

Ah yes, but the risks caused by staying in bed can sometimes be more than justified

[Landflap]

The things we do ! Colleague of mine recalled when working as a gypsie pilot that in doing a one eighty on a limited width runway, SOP had the Co-pilot standing at the OPEN R1 door (B767), hanging on to the grab handles &, on the RT, informing the Capt whether or not the R mainwheels were just on the edge ! My mate refused to endanger the lives of his First Officers and had no problems in swinging round the aircraft in accordance with well laid down & illustrated Boeing practice.Ignoring Company SOPs , he was twice reported by ambitious First Officers and interviewed. He jumped into his car & raced up the Goddard pass shortly thereafter !

[bvcu]

Very sad accident, but reading everything on this post , dont see a lot of relevance to this. If you are closing the door and the ground staff have already removed steps/bridge/catering truck then one little slip/trip and you are on the tarmac.