Air India crew member falls off aircraft in Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 15 (IANS) A senior woman crew member fell off an Air India plane at the Mumbai airport as it was preparing for a flight to New Delhi, official sources said on Monday. Harsha Lobo, 53, an airhostess, has suffered serious injuries, multiple fractures including a compound fracture in the right leg, both heels, soft tissue injury in chest, abdomen and lower spine and a cervical sprain. The incident occurred at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) when the Mumbai-Delhi flight AI-864 was preparing for departure shortly before 7 a.m. Lobo, who was closing the door for the pushback prior to taxing, suddenly fell from the aircraft onto the hard tarmac several metres below. Some ground crew members rushed Lobo to the Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Vile Parle west. The national carrier later said that she had suffered injuries to her legs. "In an unfortunate incident, one of our cabin crew (members) Harsha Lobo, fell down on the tarmac from the Boeing 777 aircraft door while closing it," the airline statement said. Nanavati Hospital COO Rajendra Patankar told IANS that she was being treated by a team of orthopaedics. The flight departed for Delhi after over an hour's delay. --IANS