A massive accident at the San Francisco airport has called for an intense investigation.
A walkway to a jet collapsed on Thursday evening in the middle of allowing passengers to disembark a flight from Hawaii Airlines.
Incoming Flight From Maui in for a Surprise
According to FlightAware, Hawaiian Airlines flight 42 from Kahului, Maui, arrived at International Terminal A after being received at the well-known SFO airport.
The flight landed just outside of the city of San Francisco at 6:52 p.m.
No Issues in the Early Stages of Landing
The plane had no issues landing on the runway or taxiing to the terminal with a full load of passengers.
After reaching the intended terminal, the jet bridge began pointing towards the plane to match the doorway.
Structural Failure Soon Recorded
The crew working at the SFO airport soon had issues when attempting to position the jet bridge.
The workers soon reported a “structural failure” when a metal strut suddenly collapsed onto the plane’s floor. A spokesperson for the SFO airport, Doug Yakel, issued the press release on Friday morning.
Passengers Were Able to Safely Deplane
Outside of the intense incident with the jet bridge, the 179 passengers on flight 42 could safely get off the plane using the rear door.
Alex Da Silva, a spokesperson for Hawaiian Airlines, told USA TODAY that the guests and six crew members could safely and orderly get off the plane.
The Plane Also Suffered Damage
In addition to the jet bridge collapse, the plane was also affected by the damage and will require some repairs.
Da Silva noted that the aircraft must be taken in for safety upgrades and some body work before being returned to regular service.
Expert Witnesses Called For Comment
Bonnie Hayes, a former American Airlines gate agent, worked with jet bridges for over 33 years and now serves as an expert witness for similar lawsuits.
She reported to USA TODAY that she had never seen the “cab of the jet bridge collapse.” Misfortunate accidents seem to be rare.
Some Speculate That the Airport Is To Blame for Malfunction
Hayes stated that the airport is responsible for performing basic maintenance tasks associated with jet bridges.
The ongoing maintenance is meant to occur weekly or daily. However, some airports can get extremely busy and forgo needed safety checks in a rush.
Undue Stress on Standard Sections
The reason for the collapse is currently unknown; however, the stress on the bridge was likely due to disproportionate weight distribution when passengers load and unload.
The stress on sections of the bridge might have caused hardware to weaken over time.
Many Customers Are Uneasy About Air Travel
Due to the recent safety allegations against Boeing airplane manufacturers, many customers feel uneasy about flight travel.
The Boeing manufacturer and its subsidiaries have been scrutinized for allegedly forgoing safety checks to speed up the construction of new planes.
Jet Bridge Will Be out of Commission for Some Time
Detailed information has been reported by the local paper SFGATE.
An insider close to the action has told reporters that the bridge that experienced the mechanical failure will be out of commission for some time until crews can repair the hardware and pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Ongoing Investigations May Cause Delays at the Airport
The international wing of the San Francisco airport may experience delays in the coming days and weeks.
The jet bridge served as an important piece of equipment at the busy airport. SFO averages about 44,885 travellers on a given day.
