TORONTO, ON – A dramatic scene unfolded at Pearson International Airport in Toronto when an Air Canada passenger tumbled onto the tarmac after opening a cabin door. The individual had just boarded Flight AC056 to Dubai, but instead of taking their seat, they opened a cabin door on the opposite side of the Boeing 777 and fell roughly 20 feet onto the tarmac.
Emergency services, including Peel Regional Police and Peel EMS, were swiftly on the scene. The police confirmed that they had received a call around 9 p.m. ET about a man who had fallen from an aircraft that was not in motion. The man was quickly apprehended and rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The police investigation revealed that the man was in a state of personal crisis during the incident. He sustained minor injuries, but his current health status is not known.
The incident resulted in a considerable delay for the Dubai-bound flight, which was carrying 319 passengers. The flight, originally scheduled to leave at 8:35 p.m. ET on Monday, did not take off until around 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which operates Pearson Airport, confirmed their knowledge of the incident and stated they are collaborating with Air Canada and local authorities. Meanwhile, Air Canada is reviewing the incident and has stated that all standard boarding and cabin procedures were adhered to.
This incident echoes similar occurrences in 2018 when a flight attendant from Emirates Airline died after falling from an emergency door of a Boeing 777 in Uganda, and an Air India flight attendant was hospitalized after falling onto the tarmac in Mumbai while closing a Boeing 777 door.