On Tuesday night, a passenger heading to Dubai from Toronto sustained severe injuries after falling about 20 feet from an open cabin door on Air Canada flight AC56.
The Boeing 777-300’s departure was delayed by over nine hours due to this incident.
The airline confirmed that the passenger, among the 319 on board, boarded the plane normally but instead of going to their seat, moved to the opposite side and opened a cabin door.
The passenger tumbled from the open exit, necessitating swift transport to a nearby hospital.
The circumstances surrounding the door opening and whether the individual jumped or accidentally fell remain unclear.
This incident occurred during boarding at the gate, and as the aircraft was stationary, the emergency slides remained inactive.
According to an Air Canada spokesperson, the airline adhered to all approved boarding and cabin procedures.
Due to the situation, the flight faced an overnight delay, departing from Toronto at 6:30 am on Wednesday.
In 2018, a member of Emirates’ cabin crew tragically lost their life by falling from the open cabin door of a Boeing 777-300 at Entebbe International Airport.
Similarly, an Air India flight attendant in the same year suffered severe injuries, including a compound fracture in her right leg, fractures in both heels, and soft tissue injuries, after falling from a Boeing 777-300 while attempting to close the cabin door.
Even on smaller aircraft, significant harm can occur; in 2020, a Finnair flight attendant fell approximately 11.5 feet from an open cabin door of an Airbus A320 due to mobile steps being inadvertently moved away while the crew member was on the platform.
