Several Airline Passengers Injured After Flight Attendant Orders Evacuation ‘That Was Not Necessary’

At least 10 passengers aboard a Laudamotion Airline flight were injured during an evacuation "that was not necessary" in London last year.

According to a report released by the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch on Thursday, Aug.6, the incident took place on a scheduled flight from London Stansted Airport to Vienna International Airport, Austria, on March 1, 2019.

"Shortly after the takeoff roll was commenced it was rejected, due to a contained failure of the left engine, and the aircraft was brought to a stop on the runway. Just as the flight crew were about to taxi the aircraft off the runway, an evacuation was commanded by the Senior Flight Attendant," the investigation report stated.

During the evacuation, ten passengers suffered minor injuries. Two of the injured were rushed to the hospital while the rest were treated at the scene.

"Local authority ambulances attended the scene. They reported that 10 patients were treated for minor injuries at the scene by paramedics. Most of the injuries were cuts, grazes, bruises and sprains. Two were subsequently taken to a local hospital for further treatment but were later discharged. While the physical injuries sustained were minor, a few passengers stated on the questionnaires that they have suffered from post-traumatic stress which they were receiving treatment for," the report stated.

Investigation revealed there was a risk of serious injury as one of the engines was running during the evacuation.

"As a result of the engine failure and subsequent rejected takeoff, the Senior Flight Attendant commanded an emergency evacuation that was not necessary in the circumstances. This was probably the result of a combination of factors that heightened her emotional response to the event and affected her decision making. The factors included inexperience as a flight attendant, weaknesses in her training and communication difficulties during the event," the report stated.

"As a result of the flight crew not being consulted before the evacuation was commenced, the right engine remained running for the first few minutes of the evacuation. This led to an increased risk of serious injury to those passengers that evacuated on the right side of the aircraft. Indeed, several passengers sustained minor injuries having been blown over by the exhaust," it added.