‘The loss of a member of our airport community affects us all deeply’
A ground crew worker employed by contractor Samsic has died after being struck by a French Bee Airbus A350 on the tarmac at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
The worker was struck at approximately 7:30 p.m. Monday as the aircraft, operating French Bee flight BF5761 to Paris Orly, reversed away from its gate, Montreal police (SPVM) said. The employee was taken to hospital and later died of injuries sustained in the collision, airport operator Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) confirmed Tuesday, according to a CBC report.
Reports on the worker's specific role varied by outlet, with some describing a signaller or marshaller position and others a wing-walker function. Radio-Canada, citing a witness, reported the worker tripped and fell into the aircraft's path.
"The loss of a member of our airport community affects us all deeply," the airport authority wrote in a statement Tuesday, calling the incident a "tragic workplace accident,” CBC reported.
ADM said the return leg of the affected flight was cancelled following the accident, though airport operations otherwise continued as normal Tuesday. No worker name had been released at the time of writing.
Investigations underway
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) confirmed it is deploying investigators to "gather information and assess the occurrence.”
Quebec's workplace safety regulator, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), has opened a separate inquiry, according to SPVM. Montreal police also confirmed Employment and Social Development Canada, which enforces the Canada Labour Code at federally regulated worksites, has launched its own investigation.
Monday's fatality is not the first aviation safety event at Montreal-Trudeau this year. In July, an Air Canada flight veered off the runway after landing from Los Angeles with 156 passengers on board; all passengers and crew were reported unharmed, according to reports.
