The US National Transportation Safety Board is asking the US FAA to require air carriers to include information about the dangers of using air conditioner carts on the ground.
The action comes more than two years after a May 2005 incident in which an Air Wisconsin flight attendant was ejected from the service door of a Bombardier CRJ at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport and fell to the ground, fracturing her right shoulder.
Investigators determined that pressure had built up in the cabin after a cooling cart was hooked up to provide air conditioning.
The attendant, who had not received training in specific areas of cooling cart operations, closed both the cabin door and the service door, allowing pressure to build. She later opened the service door, which burst outward and pulled her from the aircraft.
NTSB is asking the FAA to require airlines to revise their cabin crew training manuals and programs to state that a door must remain open while the cooling cart is connected due to its ability to pressurize the aircraft.
Advisory materials should also warn about the dangers of opening a door while the cart is operating, the Board says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
