An aeronautical engineer, approximately 60 years old, was seriously injured this weekend at Manchester Airport. The incident occurred as the worker was conducting pre-flight inspections on a Jet2 aircraft destined for the Canary Islands archipelago, falling 11 meters onto the tarmac.
Initial reports indicate that the worker, while performing cabin maintenance, opened one of the aircraft's rear doors. Apparently, he mistakenly believed that the service stairs were already attached to that side, when they were actually on the opposite side. Upon realizing the void, he attempted to hold on, but strong gusts of wind sweeping through Manchester at the time pulled him out.
He is lucky to be alive.
As a result of the impact, the engineer suffered multiple fractures in his upper and lower limbs, as well as cranial and thoracic trauma. Emergency services at the airport acted immediately, stabilizing the injured man before his urgent transfer to a nearby hospital. Although his recovery will be lengthy, the medical team is optimistic about his progress after several surgical interventions.
The incident led to the immediate suspension of aircraft operations and the cancellation of the Tenerife flight scheduled for Saturday. Passengers were informed of the situation as the area was cordoned off. Jet2 has issued a statement confirming that the injured person is an employee of an external maintenance company and is collaborating with authorities to clarify the causes of the incident. An air safety investigation has been launched to determine potential protocol failures or if wind conditions exceeded safety limits.
