A Qantas Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Airport.
Share this @internewscast.com
A Qantas plane landed with four passengers out of their seats while helping a cabin crew member who had broken their ankle in severe turbulence, putting them all at risk of injury.

But investigators found it was likely the captain didn’t know how bad it would be and didn’t tell the cabin crew.

A Qantas Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Airport.
A Qantas Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Airport. (SMH)

One cabin crew worker broke their ankle in the turbulence and couldn’t get up from the galley floor.

Two others suffered minor injuries.

Two cabin crew and two passengers – an off-duty cabin crew employee and a doctor – were helping the hurt worker in the rear galley as the plane landed.

In a report into what happened, the ATSB found that the captain did not inform the cabin crew about the expected turbulence during descent, likely due to not being aware of its severity.

The report said cabin crew were checking bathrooms and making sure passengers had seatbelts on when the severe turbulence happened, ATSB Director of Transport Safety Dr Stuart Godley said.

It’s standard for the customer service manager to tell crew if the cabin is not secured for landing, he said.

But when the manager told the captain about the injuries, and said some passengers were still standing, the captain didn’t recall receiving any requests for more time to prepare the cabin for landing, the report noted.

The captain twice directed all uninjured cabin crew and passengers to return to their seats.

But Godley said 80 per cent of serious turbulence-related injuries are suffered by cabin crew and the most common time for those is when preparing the cabin for landing.

”The unrestrained cabin crew and passengers were exposed to a higher risk of injury in a landing-based emergency, which in turn would have compromised the cabin crew’s ability to manage any such emergency situation,” Godley said.

“Differing understandings of the state of the cabin increases the risk of delayed responses or misaligned decision‑making, which may lead to safety being compromised,” he said.

The 737 was descending on a flight from Sydney to Brisbane on May 4 last year when the incident happened.

An ambulance crew met the worker with the broken ankle.

But the other two workers were not treated and one worked on more flights before realising they had a concussion.

The other was later treated for an injury to their face.

Qantas has now updated its protocols to include contact with the Qantas doctor in the event of significant cabin crew injury or illness, ATSB said.

It has also rolled out more controls to adequately assess the fitness of crew members after turbulence.

Qantas said in a statement: “Following an internal investigation, we promptly expanded our Group-wide medical escalation and post-incident medical assessment processes, ensuring all crew onboard a flight are assessed following an incident, regardless of visible impact.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Lorena Wiebes Secures Consecutive Stage Victories at Tour de France Femmes

Lorena Wiebes has stormed to her second successive stage victory at the…
Ghislaine Maxwell, an accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein.

Ghislaine Maxwell is willing to share information, but there’s a condition attached

Ghislaine Maxwell, known for her connection to Jeffrey Epstein, has proposed providing…
US President Donald Trump

Trump Concludes Scottish Visit with Launch of New Golf Course

Golf and Scotland hold a special place for US President Donald Trump,…
Rebecca revealed her 16-year secret on The Edge Breakfast - leaving radio hosts Ash London, Clinton Randell and Dan Webby shocked

Rebecca’s Journey: The Long-Hidden Secret She Finally Revealed After 16 Years

Rebecca was newly single after her relationship ended – but what happened…
Gunman who killed 4 at Manhattan office building 'was targeting NFL headquarters'

Shooter Kills 4 in Manhattan Office; Target Was Allegedly NFL Headquarters

Investigators suspect that Shane Tamura, from Las Vegas, intended to reach the…
A mini bus has crashed and rolled down an embankment in the NSW Hunter Valley, injuring six people.

Groom Severely Injured in Minibus Accident En Route to Wedding

A mini bus crash has injured a groom on the way to…
Brandon and Candace, seen here with their kids Holt and Chase, left the US for New Zealand earlier this month

Colorado Family Moves to New Zealand for the Safety of Their Transgender Daughter Chase, Age 9

A family from Colorado has relocated to New Zealand, fearing the potential…
Jaromir Cabla, who goes by Jaro online, 26, was once broke and homeless but he now rakes in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year as a travel influencer

From Homelessness to Six Figures: My Journey to Financial Success

A man who once faced financial hardships and homelessness but now earns…
The worst places in Australia for 'silent killer' wood heater smoke

Australia’s Most Affected Areas by ‘Silent Killer’ Wood Heater Smoke

Wood heaters have been a traditional source of warmth during winter in…
Then-senior constable Kristian James Samuel White, 35, fired his Taser at 95-year-old Clare Nowland.

Court Maintains Light Sentence for Officer Who Used Taser on Elderly Woman

The decision not to incarcerate the ex-officer who fatally used a taser…

“Generational Consequences: The Lasting Impact of Starvation in Gaza”

Israel has declared it will allow humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. However,…

Man Arrested for Firebombing Melbourne Synagogue; Police Investigate Overseas Connections

Police say overseas and local criminals are suspected of working together in…