A death caused by a tragic incident at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport in Quebec, Canada, resulted in the demise of an unanticipated person as an aircraft hit him on the airport apron.
On Monday, August 24, evening, the mentioned incident occurred when the employee was performing ground work for the French Bee airline. Currently, Canadian authorities together with the coroner’s office are investigating the case.
The individual who has died during the accident was named Oscar Robayo, 39 years old. He worked in the apron area of the airport. The apron serves as a key aspect of all airport operations as this is where all the airplanes are parked, loaded with luggage, unloaded, serviced and prepared for the flight.
As reported by TSB (Transportation Safety Board) of Canada, the aircraft that was involved in the incident is Air Bus A350 made by French Bee company.
The plane was getting ready to depart to Paris and preliminary reports indicate that it was moving backwards when the accident took place.
As of now, authorities have not produced the full reconstruction of the incident that occurred right before the crash. Investigators are expected to study the aircraft’s path, procedure of the ground crew, communication among people and circumstances that make up the position of the worker in the tarmac.
All of the tasks related to the ground movement of the aircraft require coordination between the pilot and the ground crew, thus any delay or misunderstanding can lead to a serious consequence.
One of the passengers of the aircraft remembers the moment of the collision while waiting for the take-off.
Popescu, the passenger who was on board the plane, reported that the aircraft was moving backward at the moment of the incident; he added that he had an opportunity to see the landing gear of the aircraft.
In less than a minute he figured out that something was definitely wrong.
The incident left strong mental emotions in the passenger. Normally he was not afraid of flying but after that incident he felt some anxiety connected with flying. This experience gives investigators insight into the details of what has happened.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has begun many investigations concerning the case.
In this incident, TSB will analyze all available information on the occurrence to identify the causes and reasons that led to this accident. Therefore, all the details concerning this case will be revealed.
Another investigation is being conducted by the Quebec coroner’s office.
At the moment, officials have not been able to find out the reason why Robayo was hit by the plane prior to the completion of the investigation.
Accidents occurring on airport aprons are severe because ground staff works in close proximity to the aircraft. They may participate in different duties such as baggage handling, servicing and positioning of the aircraft at the airport, passenger boarding, and other activities for airplanes required to leave the airport.
Montreal tributes to the victim.
Once the accident happened, Montreal airport paid respect to Robayo. The airport has also noted a silent moment in memory of the unlucky worker. It was on the Wednesday afternoon when all the colleagues were given the chance to pay their last respect in honor of the dead colleague.
This tragedy had ramifications not only for the immediate relatives of the deceased employee. A large number of workers are employed at airports on various operations. When a person dies in an accident at that workplace, the loss is felt throughout the community.
The impact of a sudden loss can be particularly severe for those working in the area, especially for those with the same specialization as the deceased employee.
Condolences from French Bee
The aviation company French Bee has expressed their condolences to the family of their deceased employee.
According to The Independent newspaper, French Bee has shared its sadness with relatives of the deceased employee in its statement. In addition, the airline mentioned it had assisted the affected colleagues, who feel the consequences of the tragedy.
This shows how wide is the impact of the incident where not only the victim but also passengers, crew, and other employees have experienced some feelings.
For airlines, the ground operations are an indispensable component of every flight. There should be the coordination among many different workers in order for the aircraft to leave the airport safely.
The CEO of the airport has expressed his condolences.
Yves Beauchamp, who is at the head of the Montreal airports, sent condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Robayo.
The CEO stated that he was thinking about the people who were affected by this tragedy.
His statement emphasizes the seriousness of the incident and the emotional effect it had on the airport’s community.
Though the investigation is ongoing, it is expected that the airport and the airline will cooperate with the agencies investigating the matter.
How Was It Possible for an Airplane to Hit a Ground Worker?
Currently, the specifics of the situation remain unknown so it is too early to answer the question as to what exactly happened in this case.
As far as air traffic is concerned, all movements of airplanes on the ground should be coordinated. Pilots of the passenger airplanes do not usually see what is happening next to the airplane in some cases but the workers on the ground play an important role in their work.
Ground crews need to cooperate when the airplane is being pushed back or moved to another place.
The Airbus A350 that was involved in the incident is a large aircraft, which makes careful ground operations necessary because of the aircraft’s size and restricted visibility at some places. However, one way or another, the official investigation will determine whether visibility, communication, positioning, equipment, human error, or any other reason contributed to the accident.
Investigation Will Reveal the Complete Chronology
The deadly incident has raised questions over what actually took place during the movement of the aircraft on the apron.
In order to construct the timeline of events that preceded the collision, the investigators will examine the airport’s surveillance video, the aircraft’s technical data, the communication records, statements of witnesses, ground operations manuals, and other evidence.
Determining the exact chronology is extremely important considering that the airport apron is a very controlled environment where planes and ground transport vehicles are operating in close proximity.
The investigation could also reveal whether existing safety regulations were followed.
Airports Can Be Dangerous for Employees
Most passengers only see a small portion of what happens at an airport. Once a plane lands, a whole army of employees begins prepping the aircraft for its next flight.
The ground crew is usually busy working around the aircraft, while luggage is loaded, food is served, equipment is set up, and people start boarding the flight. This work has to be done in a short period of time, while following strict safety regulations.
It’s tragic to learn about the death of Oscar Robayo, as it serves as a reminder that there are many occupational hazards involved in ground handling services.
The apron may seem like a safe and controlled environment for the passengers, but for the employees, every movement of the aircraft is a reason to keep their eyes open.
Investigation Continues
The investigation of the incident at Montreal-Trudeau airport continues.
At this point, we can only hope to find out what happened without the misinformation according to which the investigation will probably be conducted by the Transportation Safety Board and coroners of Quebec.
As this takes place, mourners from the airline, airport and workmates have not been left behind in trying to console the victim’s family after the tragic death.
Some people who were there at the time of the accident have been left traumatized, while communities in the airport have lost one of theirs in a tragic work-related accident.
As the investigatory process continues, all eyes will be on aviation regulators for any possible disclosures. Having an understanding of what really led to the accident may be very important for finding out what really happened to Oscar Robayo and helping in the future prevention of such accidents.
Currently, the priorities lie in remembering the tragic accident’s victim and being supportive towards family and friends of the deceased.
