A flight attendant for China Eastern Airlines fell out of an airplane and onto the tarmac while trying to close a cabin door, suffering several fractures and bruises, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport in Guangdong, China, said in a statement.
The flight attendant “accidentally fell on the tarmac from the left rear cabin door when the plane was ready for takeoff,” according to the statement. She was then rushed to the hospital for treatment after mechanics found her while trying to prepare the aircraft for its flight.
The flight attendant fell roughly nine feet from the cabin door of the Boeing 737-800 before landing on the tarmac.
South China Morning Post reported that the flight attendant tried closing the cabin door by herself, but typical protocol calls for two staffers to close the door. However, the flight attendant can decide to close the door by themselves.
The flight, scheduled to leave for the cities of Kunming and Tengchong, was delayed for roughly two hours on Monday.
The airline is investigating the incident.
