techgirl

Interesting morning here at SMF.

We (onboard 2482) were taxiing out of the gate this morning and got about 100 feet off the gate when the plane suddenly lurched, bumped, and then stopped abruptly. I would describe the feeling as a combination of severe turbulence and the feeling that the plane ran over a vehicle.

The plane is at a complete stop and we in F can see activity on the intercoms between the front and back galleys and cockpit. After a few minutes (four to five), the captain comes on and announces that he had to hit the brakes suddenly to avoid hitting a tug that was somehow behind the plane.

We sit for another 20 to 30 minutes and then pull back to the gate where we wait about another 10 minutes before a ground manager comes on board and first escorts all the F passengers off - telling us quietly that the flight will be cancelled and we have injured flight attendants.

As we are gathering our things, we see flashing lights and a fire truck and ambulance pulling up to the flight.

I'm in the gate area now waiting for my rebooked flight and hearing all the convo. Two flight attendants and one passenger have been transported to UC Davis and another two injured passengers were seen and released.

Never a dull moment flying, is there?!

PresRDC

Wow. So just to clarify, the plane was pushing back when it stopped, or had it already pushed off the gate and was taxiing under its own power?

Glad you're okay, but too bad about the FAs and the pax.

card1953

I hope everyone turns out to be OK. The flight is showing as cancelled on AA.com. I just checked the local news report on the web and did not see a report.

techgirl

The plane was pushing back. I'm not sure if we were under our own power but since the captain had the power to pull the brake, I suspect we were. He is standing near me... I may try ask him when they finish conferencing with the gate agents... trying to easesdrop now.

I also have to commend AA. Everyone from the FAs to the pilots to gate agents and ground supervisors has handled this wonderfully. The rebooking of an entire 757 went very smoothly. While there are a few non-frequent flyers who are a bit irritated at the delays and missing connections at DFW, they have done a great job to keep folks calm and happy. The remaining FAs and the pilots are going to be deadheading back and AA has also sent a representative to the hospital to be with the injured crew/pax. As well, they took extremely expedient care of two unaccompanied minors - calling parents immediately to let them know about the changes in flights and keeping both of the kids calm.

fly co to see the yanks

cAAncelled flight? when does the inevitAAble discussion on compensAAtion begin?

techgirl

Dunno... I guess that depends on whether any of the usuAAl compensAAtion whores were on the flight with me. I didn't see any AAsAAults on pAAssengers or any other AAnnoying behAAvior so I might be the only FTer on board.

Jace

Never fails does it...

The good thing is it keeps us career flyers on the edge and entertained. Glad you're OK Jen!!

techgirl

Safe and sound in Dallas. They managed to rebook passengers on flights throughout the rest of the day (or connecting passengers on other routings).

I sat in 6E right in front of the non-injured flight crew members who deadheaded back so I got to hear a bit more about what was going on. Apparently one FA has a broken wrist and/or arm and another was thrown into the galley and injured arm/neck/back. As of the time we boarded, the injured FAs were sitting in the hallway at UC Davis and had yet to be triaged at the ED as there were no exam rooms available. The deadheading FAs said that AA had sent a representative over to the hospital to stay with the FAs until they were released.

The aircraft was put out of service and towed off the gate after much discussion between the pilots and airport personnel. Before the fog rolled in, we could see it sitting out in the distance as ground crew members were out walking around examining the tires and wheel wells.

The FAs were really surprised at the passenger's injuries as she had been belted in. I heard the passenger's daughter tell the paramedics that she KNEW she had whiplash because she had been in several auto accidents in the past - and had injured her back and/or neck every time and the symptoms were exactly the same. The paramedics told the passenger she was free to go but she insisted on being taken to the hospital. (I smell a lAAwsuit.)

When we landed at DFW, there were several AA management folks (all in suits) waiting to talk to the crew members and one was also talking to the gate supervisor about the incident.

JDiver

Well, techgirl, glad you all made it OK!

Sounds like you kept your cool and head - thanks for keeping us informed.

I do suspect you are correct about the woman who was "injured", since "she KNEW she had whiplash because she had been in several auto accidents in the past - and had injured her back and/or neck every time and the symptoms were exactly the same."

I also smell a lAAwsuit, and possibly (hopefully) some frAAud investigators getting into the AAct.

Skyman65

I'm glad you're safe-n-sound, TechGirl.

Sorry to stray O/T here, but since you brought up the hint of a "lAAwsuit", it reminded me of the time I was sued for a traffic accident, and the unbelievable lengths some people go to to scam a buck. I was in a minor fender bender--my fault. I was coming out of a parking lot and accidently hit the rear quarter panel of a car driving by (I'll skip all the details of how this happened). Anyway, it was all at slow speeds and it wasn't a major collision We both got out of the car, the other driver seemed fine, we swapped information, then drove off. The next week my insurance company calls to inform me that the girl I hit was claiming all kinds of injuries from the accident. I knew there was NO WAY she was injured from the accident. So I encouraged the insurance company to fight it and I promised to cooperate fully. It ended up going to court a year later. She was suing for $40,000 for medical bills, chiropractic bills, othopedic mattress, loss of wages (she was unemployed at the time of the accident, and had been for six months previous), pain and suffering, loss of intimacy with her boyfriend, yadda yadda yadda.

During the trial, the plaintiff submitted medical bills from a doctor's visit the day after the accident as proof that she was injured. My lawyer cotacted the doctor and found out that the visit was for treatment for genital herpes. When my lawyer told me that, I told him "Gee, I didn't think I hit her THAT hard."

Anyway, the case went to the jury, and they deliberated for a total of about five minutes before coming back with a decision in my favor. What a total waste of everyone's time. I'm just glad the jury was able to see through the scam.

techgirl

Yeah, the litigious nature of some people amazes me.

Both my parents and I have been parties to these types of insurance fraud suits as well. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that people will go through.

My case was an accident with a school bus (!) and my rental car in Connecticut where the bus driver turned into my car while making a turn that was too wide out of a center lane. 50 kids bouncing around were all fine but she somehow suffered injuries and couldn't work anymore. National found out during the deposition phase that this was her seventh or eighth such lawsuit in as many years.

My parents were the victims of a person who fully slammed on their brakes in normal 40 mph traffic. My mom had really no escape BUT to hit the car (which was beat up from multiple other accidents). They tried to claim the damage (where my mother swerved and barely clipped her bumper) was from my mom and that they were both injured as well. They balked at my mom calling the police and changed their story abruptly and drove off. My mother later got served where they claimed SHE left the scene. Case never went anywhere... apparently another serial lawsuit filer.

CloudCoder

I flew regularly out of SMF for several years, and I believe the GA's and supervisors there are the best in the system. It's always amazing that at a typical outlying station, one Gate Agent can single-handedly board an entire aircraft, while at the hub airports it takes at least two GA's and often a supervisor as well.

sibley

The lawsuit folks y'all have encountered sound quite slimy. I just wanted to say that whiplash injuries can be real. I got hit about 10 years ago when a big sedan plowed into my little sporty job. Tossed my head forward and back, and as my teeth slammed together from the impact, one of my back molars cracked clean through--top to bottom.I think I did a month or two of PT. It helped at the time. Now, ten years later, it looks as if that underlying nerve damage is causing issues with my neck. Next is an MRI.

Techgirl, I'm glad you're ok, and hope the FAs are on the mend too.

Traveller

This is a kind of x rated story, but funny....

Years ago I had some back pain and went to a chiropractor. He was asking me medical questions and then he asked "Have you ever been rear ended"? I replied "You mean in a car ? I think the doctor blushed more than I did. LOL

JDiver

At least one of those angels is an ex-TW angel... and SMF is such a small station it's usual to see folks doubling up, doing ticket duties and moving on to the gate. I do agree - they are efficient, friendly and an AAsset to the airline.