ATLANTA — The president of the Association of Flight Attendants says members are thoroughly trained on how to react in plane crashes, including when a plane overturns.
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That happened Monday, when a Delta regional jet from Minneapolis crashed upon landing at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, sending up a ball of flames when fuel stored in a wing ignited.
“That plane was on fire and luckily we had first responders on the ground because that cabin can go up very quickly,” said Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson.
Nelson told Channel 2’s Tom Regan the two flight attendants on board the plane were laser-focused on getting everyone off the plane in 90 seconds or less.
“It’s not normal to end up, upside down as you’re starting an evacuation, but we’re also trained that anything can happen. The first and most important thing we need to do is to make sure that we have a safe passage out of the aircraft,” said Nelson.
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Nelson said among the commands shouted out by flight attendants telling passengers to leave everything behind.
‘People should not be taking time to grab those bags. When they grab them, they can be caught up in a seat. It can impede the ability of others to get off when they get to the exit. It can pile up at the exit,” said Nelson.
All 80 on board the plane evacuated safely. Most of the 18 people taken to the hospital have been treated and released. Nelson credits the flight attendants and pilots for saving lives.
“In this case, I’m so proud of the Delta Endeavor flight attendants who were able to safely evacuate all 80 people on the plane. I’ve heard hundreds of debriefs on critical incidents, and that’s what flight attendants say all the time. Thank goodness for my training. That’s what kicked in,” said Nelson.
Delta flight attendants receive several weeks of training when they come on board and an annual refresher course.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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