A passenger aboard an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Dubai opened a cabin door and fell to the tarmac before takeoff Monday evening, injuring themselves and causing lengthy delays.
The plane, a Boeing 777, was sitting on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson International Airport preparing for takeoff when the incident took place.
Air Canada confirmed to Global News that during the boarding of flight AC056, a passenger “who had boarded the aircraft normally,” opened a cabin door on the opposite side of the aircraft, instead of going to their seat while the aircraft was at the gate.
As a result, the passenger sustained injuries falling to the tarmac, and emergency services and authorities were called in.
They probably brushed up against the door and it fell out.
I imagine it just popped out and they rushed to blame it on the nearest passenger. “HE DID IT!!! It’s not the plane’s fault!”
The plane was on the ground, stopped, during boarding. So the plane is unpressurized and cannot “pop” a door in this context.
it being unpressurized is the only way to open these doors. and most of them do kind of “pop” as they have hydraulics to help when you open them
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How? It sounds like it was the door opposite to the boarding door.
It was a Boeing plane
777 and 787 are good, though. This isn’t a 737
Oh, they put all the bolt tighteners on those projects instead?
The numbers don’t lie. 777 and 787 have a great track record.
So far.
Important to note that airplane doors literally cannot be opened while the plane is pressurized, as it is during flight. There are several tons of air pressure holding them shut. This sort of mishap is only possible on the ground.
Should probably have some kind of anti-idiot lock on it anyway, but maybe it did and this was just a particularly clever idiot.
Anti idiot locks would be an emergency situation nightmare.
Everything worked as intended. The only person injured was the idiot, and no one else was at risk. They could have just as easily opened a door on the gate path thingy (no idea what the name is. Connecting the terminal gate to the plane) and yeeted themselves out that way, for the same effect.
Jetway is the word you’re looking for
I think it’s a jet bridge.
It’s ok, I’m a limo driver!
Unless it’s a Boeing 737 Max 9
‘on the ground’ AKA a door 4.5 metres above the ground
‘the ground’ AKA solid bitumen
( Might be time to cross-check and arm unused-doors before any passengers board )
I still can’t believe this occurred.
I thought it was external airflow due to air speed, but it seems like you’re right, it’s due to cabin pressure.
I’ve been wondering why door plugs aren’t the same. Shouldn’t the pressure hold it closed?
The pressure is going the other direction. The inside of the cabin is a higher pressure than outside. So while it’s designed to have the pressure hold it closed from the inside, if the bolts are loose it will just get pushed all the way out.
Shouldn’t the plug be bigger than the hole so it can’t be pushed all the way out?
Twss
What other direction? I’m not a moron. Of course there is more pressure inside. It shouldn’t need bolts to hold it closed if the pressure is doing it. The door should only open inwards.
a passenger “who had boarded the aircraft normally,” opened a cabin door on the opposite side of the aircraft, instead of going to their seat while the aircraft was at the gate.
How did this happen? Isn’t there usually a flight attendant standing right there as you board the plane?
I wonder if “opposite side” means at the back of the plane
How did this happen? Isn’t there usually a flight attendant standing right there as you board the plane?
Yes, but the 777 has two aisles. Here’s the Air Canada seat map. The flight attendant greeting passengers would be by the first aisle, directing passengers down the correct aisle for their seat. This passenger might have been directed to the second aisle, and rather than turning down the aisle they went straight across to opposite exit door. Or they might have used one of the other doors. The 777 has 10 full-sized doors, 5 on each side of the plane. Two of those doors open onto the wings, one of those would have been used for boarding, maybe two if first-class passengers get a separate air bridge, but that still leaves 6 or 7 doors where there isn’t likely to be a flight attendant to notice a passenger doing something stupid.
Yes, but the 777 has two aisles.
That didn’t even enter my mind. I have only ever flown on planes with single aisles.
Yeah I also forget about that being a thing.
Notable that they opened a door and seemingly fell/stepped into nothingness, so there’s still something else going on with them.
Usually but if someone needed additional assistance, there was a commotion, or it was just a stressful day then it’s quite possible someone could lunge for the handle before anyone could intercede.
Sure. I wasn’t looking to blame anyone for it.
“Hey, is this the bathroom door? I gotta pee.”
Nobody in the comments mentioning the fact that this plane was headed for dubai.
My guess is the person was either being forced to go, and this was their way of escaping the predicament, or they were headed there to sell their soul for gold, and thought better of it.
Nothing good happens in dubai.
That was my thought. Fuck the UAE.
Sounds like they were just not aware of how planes look from the inside, and thought that was the way to their seat? But to fall out, they must have been a bit next to themselves. Wonder if some sort of mental issue, fatigue or drugs was at play, or if it was really just not knowing what they were doing.
You enter the hallway. There is a door in the north wall with a red handle that says “Do not open.” There is also an open door in the east wall with first class seats in view. What do you do?
Roll for stupidity.
How shiny is the red handle? That shine might be too inviting.
Realise that you have not booked first class and move through the closed door to the economy seats. Spend no time reading any signs on that other door, because you are convinced the other way is wrong.
Take all.
Smell
The article was pretty vague but there’s one quote where they say the passenger was in a “state of crisis,” so I’d guess something like a panic attack or other medical issue
