AIR HOSTESS FALLS OUT OF AIR INDIA PLANE, INJURED

MUMBAI: A 53-year-old flight attendant of Air India fell 20 feet from an aircraft while performing a pre-flight check on it at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, early on Monday morning. Harsha Lobo suffered fractures in her legs and also injuries to her spine and chest after she fell into the gap between the door and the step ladder which wasn’t aligned. The airline said in a statement that it was investigating the incident, but has not fixed responsibility for the accident.

Flight AI 864 was being readied for its scheduled

HARSHA LOBO FRACTURED HER LEGS AND ALSO INJURED HER SPINE AND CHEST AFTER THE FALL

departure around 7 am; passengers were to board from 6.20 am. Lobo was checking the door at 6.10 am and fell.

A senior airline official said on the condition of anonymity that “there was a gap between the aircraft and the step ladder... The crew slipped off the door while closing the door before the passengers could start boarding the aircraft”.

The Boeing has 10 doors and aviation regulator DGCA makes its mandatory for the cabin crew to keep two doors open whether or not the aircraft is connected to an aerobridge. This is for safety and ventilation.

“While the other ladder was aligned well with the aircraft, the ladder near L5 door wasn’t aligned, which led to the incident,” added the official. Former pilot and aviation expert Vipul Saxena said, “This incident looks like an error of judgement wherein the cabin crew assumed that the ladder is still attached; however the actual cause will be revealed once the enquiry is over.”

Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety expert, said the aircraft door requires tremendous force to close it. “The crew member might have not held the door handle tightly and hence would have slipped while closing it,” he said. “This indicates that she wasn’t trained properly.”

Lobo underwent surgery to treat the fractures, and doctors said her condition was stable. She is under observation at the ICU in Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital.

“We have operated upon her right leg near the foot where she suffered a compound fracture. Both her heels were also fractured along with a soft tissue injury to the chest, abdomen and lower spine,” said Dr Rajendra Patankar, chief operating officer, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital.