Passenger opens plane door and plunges 20ft onto tarmac moments before takeoff

13 January 2024 , 12:40

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A man was pictured sitting on the tarmac outside the plane after the incident (Image: Newsflash)

A passenger opened up a jumbo jet door and fell 20ft onto tarmac shortly before the plane was due to take off.

Passengers onboard Air Canada’s Boeing 777 were all ready for their 13-hour flight from the Toronto Pearson International Airport to Dubai on January 8.

But shockingly, a man was able to open the cabin door, and fell out of the plane onto the tarmac below, after boarding had taken place. This caused a six-hour delay and now authorities are trying to figure out how they were able to do it. The man suffered injuries, and CTV News added that it wasn’t entirely clear why the passenger had acted as he did.

Images from the shocking incident emerged on social media, showing emergency vehicles, including an ambulance, crowding around the plane - with its passenger tunnel still attached. A second image emerged of a man sitting on the ground, surrounded by airport workers in high-vis vests.

Local media reported the passenger was able to pull the door open himself, before falling and Peel Regional Police said the man had been in a "state of crisis". No charges have been put to the man yet, but the incident prompted concerns over how easily the exits could be accessed and opened.

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Retired air captain Ross 'Rusty' Aimers revealed that the doors of an airplane were easier to open before the plane was "armed" - after this, if the hatch is opened the emergency slides are automatically deployed. He told Canada website Global News: "On the ground, before it's armed, it's much easier to open the door. The handle that you see is pretty long so it makes it easier to open that door. That's the design of it."

Emergency services crowded around the jet after the shocking incident (Newsflash)

The Mail reported that, in a statement, Air Canada said: "During the boarding of flight AC056, Toronto-to-Dubai on January 8 while the aircraft was at the gate, a passenger who had boarded the aircraft normally, instead of proceeding to their seat opened a cabin door on the opposite side of the aircraft.

"The passenger sustained injuries falling to the tarmac with emergency services and the authorities attending. The flight, onboard a Boeing 777 scheduled to carry 319 customers, was subsequently delayed and departed later. We can confirm all of our approved boarding and cabin operating procedures were followed; we continue to review the incident."

Air Canada and Peel Regional Police have been approached for further comment.

Kieren Williams