‘That training kicked in’: How flight attendants leapt into action after Toronto plane crash
After Delta Flight 4819’s cabin rolled over and came to rest in a terrifying crash landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, a flight attendant stood on what had been the ceiling – one leg propped on an upturned baggage compartment – and addressed passengers who’d unbuckled themselves from upside-down seats. “Drop everything! Drop it. Come on,” she shouts in a video recorded by a passenger, her voice composed but forceful as she guides people to leave through an open exit door. “Put that phone away!” As authorities investigate the cause of Monday’s crash, broad consensus about part of the aftermath has emerged: The pair of flight attendants did well to help dozens of passengers evacuate from the overturned aircraft. “They performed their work perfectly as aviation’s first responders,” said Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, using one of the union’s favorite descriptors for its more than 50,000 members. “This is the reason that we are on the plane: to evacuate passengers from a crash landing like this safely,” she said. “And they did that.” Though flight attendants help keep passengers comfortable in part by giving out drinks, snacks, blankets and headphones, attendants are first meant to help keep travelers safe – a job that requires extensive and repeated training. “They are responsible for much more than picking up trash and serving sodas,” said Michael McCormick, an associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “They’re trained professionals responsible for the safety of the passengers. And they did a phenomenal job.” All 80 people on board Monday’s flight – four crew and 76 passengers – survived the crash, though officials said 21 people were taken to hospitals with injuries. By Wednesday, all but one had been released, Delta said. The flight, operated by Delta’s regional partner Endeavor Air, took off from Minneapolis bound for the Toronto area, which strong winds had been hitting all day. Shortly after 2 p.m., as the flight approached Toronto Pearson – located in the suburb of Mississauga – air traffic controllers warned the pilots about 38 mph gusts. The aircraft landed hard on the runway, video shows, the right wing making contact with the ground before falling away in a blaze of fire. <br/>
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‘That training kicked in’: How flight attendants leapt into action after Toronto plane crash
After Delta Flight 4819’s cabin rolled over and came to rest in a terrifying crash landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport, a flight attendant stood on what had been the ceiling – one leg propped on an upturned baggage compartment – and addressed passengers who’d unbuckled themselves from upside-down seats. “Drop everything! Drop it. Come on,” she shouts in a video recorded by a passenger, her voice composed but forceful as she guides people to leave through an open exit door. “Put that phone away!” As authorities investigate the cause of Monday’s crash, broad consensus about part of the aftermath has emerged: The pair of flight attendants did well to help dozens of passengers evacuate from the overturned aircraft. “They performed their work perfectly as aviation’s first responders,” said Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, using one of the union’s favorite descriptors for its more than 50,000 members. “This is the reason that we are on the plane: to evacuate passengers from a crash landing like this safely,” she said. “And they did that.” Though flight attendants help keep passengers comfortable in part by giving out drinks, snacks, blankets and headphones, attendants are first meant to help keep travelers safe – a job that requires extensive and repeated training. “They are responsible for much more than picking up trash and serving sodas,” said Michael McCormick, an associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “They’re trained professionals responsible for the safety of the passengers. And they did a phenomenal job.” All 80 people on board Monday’s flight – four crew and 76 passengers – survived the crash, though officials said 21 people were taken to hospitals with injuries. By Wednesday, all but one had been released, Delta said. The flight, operated by Delta’s regional partner Endeavor Air, took off from Minneapolis bound for the Toronto area, which strong winds had been hitting all day. Shortly after 2 p.m., as the flight approached Toronto Pearson – located in the suburb of Mississauga – air traffic controllers warned the pilots about 38 mph gusts. The aircraft landed hard on the runway, video shows, the right wing making contact with the ground before falling away in a blaze of fire. <br/>
