Air stewardess suffered spinal injuries in turbulence
10.03.11
An air stewardess suffered spinal injuries when the plane she was working on hit turbulence as it approached Heathrow Airport and she was thrown into the air. The Boeing 737 operated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight was approaching the airport in August last year when the incident took place.
A report released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said the stewardess had been in a crew seat, unrestrained, and was making a passenger announcement. After being thrown into the air, the woman landed back on the seat and badly injured her back. She was in considerable pain and had to remain on the galley floor as the flight came in to land. The injured stewardess had to stay in hospital for 10 days following the incident.
The report said the seatbelt sign was on but the cabin crew were unrestrained and were securing the cabin for landing. Another cabin crew member had managed to sit in an empty seat but was not able to fasten the seatbelt before she was thrown into the air. She hit the cabin roof but was unhurt.
SAS carried out its own investigation after the incident, which highlighted three similar occasions of cabin crew suffering injuries due to turbulence. The airline has made 'safety recommendations' (changes) as a result of the investigation.
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