Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120274634 - Lsg Sky Chefs

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on November 5, 2000, Employee #1 sustained contusions and bruises on his head, right arm and shoulder as result of a twelve foot fall from an aircraft's left rear door. His employer was engaged in airline catering for the past 50 years throughout the country. A crew of two employees was using truck Number 2536 with food cabin in replenishing an aircraft's galley at San Diego International Airport. The truck's cabin was dropping approximately 2 feet per 10 minutes due to hydraulic leak. A short aluminum ramp was installed by the driver onto the truck's platform and the aircraft's doorway. The employees were attempting to load 19 food carts into the aircraft's galley and to unload the empty carts before the platform went down. Employee #1 was pushing the last empty cart into the truck's cabin when the ramp slipped off the aircraft's doorway and fell with the employee onto the truck's hood. According to his employer, the employees were accustomed to the leaking hydraulic fluid for more than 3 months. Employee #1's supervisor was not at the immediate vicinity. The causal factor which contributed to the accident included the employer's failure in preventing the use of the defective lift truck by the employees. Employee #1 was transported to UCSD hospital for treatment and observation.

Keywords: AIRCRAFT, HEAD, SHOULDER, FALL, ARM, CONTUSION