An 81-year-old man who had just landed on the Greek island of Rhodes was killed tragically after falling from a special high lift vehicle that had brought him safely into the asphalt.
The vehicle is also referred to as “outpatient” or “medical heavenly” when airplanes arrive at a goal that has no Jetbridge.
While the capable passengers exhaust the asphalt via Airstairs before going to the terminal or goes to the waiting buses, an outpatient passenger transports with mobility problems.
The ambulift transported James Young and his wife Anne in November 2023 at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland and, according to investigators, was probably some time before the accident.
Edinburgh Airpot has several ambulances that look like normal trucks that you could see on the street. In contrast to a standard truck, however, there is an outpatient platform that can be raised to the same level as an aircraft door.
Passengers can go to the platform, are free and are then lowered to the bottom.
Some ambulances have a fully closed cabin that lifts to the plane, while the tail platform with side safety rails used by Edinburgh Airport has.
When the tail lift platform was lowered to the floor with five other passengers, the passenger tried to pass on a hand luggage to a member of the floor staff on the asphalt below.
He leaned against the side rail, which suddenly swung up. Mr. Young fell only about five feet on the ground, and although his injuries were not considered serious at that time, he was taken to a local hospital for an investigation.
Once in the hospital, it was found that Mr. Young was seriously injured than the first thought. A week later he died tragically in the hospital.
Edinburgh Airport reported the incident on November 23, 2023 to the health and security manager, who opened an investigation and sent experts to assess the ambulift connected to the accident.
They found that the locking mechanism on the safety rail was wrongly aligned so that the rail was opened outwards when pressure was exerted on it. This in turn created a gap through which someone could fall.
The investigation caused HSE Airport to pursue Edinburgh Airport, and the operator finally owed himself to violate the regulations for the regulations and the use of work equipment from 1998 and Section 33 (1) (1) (c) of health and security at work, etc. Law 1974.
“Edinburgh Airport Limited was obliged to ensure that all work equipment was kept in an efficient condition and operational work,” said HSE Inspector Jurate Gruzaite.
“The company failed in this obligation and had a role in a family tragedy that developed at the moment when Mr. and Ms. Young returned from vacation,” Gruzaite continued.
“It is clear that the fault on the ambulance was available before Mr Young fell from the platform.”
On June 10, Edinburgh Sheriff Court sentenced £ 80,000 with a fine of the airport. Gruzaite says she hopes that the aviation industry can learn from this tragic accident.
Matts Take
The type of ambulift from Edinburgh Airport at the time of the accident is now quite rare, and airports that routinely use “removed” aircraft parking without airbridge have invested in much more advanced high lifter with fully closed cabins.
One of the most advanced ambulances is the Bulmor sideball, which was developed in 2022. This type of ambulift is now used at many airports around the world, which enables one-person operation.
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