Phillippe M
22nd April 2009, 01:46 PM
Woman's neck, back broken in air turbulence on Continental plane
By staff writers - NEWS.com.au - April 22, 2009 11:19am
A WOMAN has been paralysed after turbulence struck a Continental plane while she was using the toilet.
The 47-year-old British woman was in the plane's bathroom when it passed through extremely rough air, flinging her against the bathroom ceiling, the Houston Chronicle reports.
She had reportedly disobeyed warnings to remain in her seat while the plane passed through the turbulence.
"We have a lady who got off her seat coming out or into the bathroom, that's when the situation occurred," her attorney Ramon Garcia, told Texas’s KRGV News.
The woman, along with two other passengers and a crew member, was taken to hospital when the flight 511 landed in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday, Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark said.
Dr Trey Fulp, the spinal surgeon who will perform a second operation today on the passenger, said the woman suffered the same injuries as Christopher Reeve.
"She is paralysed from the nipples to her toes," Dr Trey Fulp told ABC News.
Dr Fulp said she had suffered a “hangman’s fracture”, a neck break commonly seen in patients who hang themselves.
He said it was unclear if the paralysis would be permanent.
Storms had been reported in the Houston area before the flight which had to be delayed several hours. The Boeing 737 carried 104 passengers and five crew members.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25369328-5014090,00.html
By staff writers - NEWS.com.au - April 22, 2009 11:19am
A WOMAN has been paralysed after turbulence struck a Continental plane while she was using the toilet.
The 47-year-old British woman was in the plane's bathroom when it passed through extremely rough air, flinging her against the bathroom ceiling, the Houston Chronicle reports.
She had reportedly disobeyed warnings to remain in her seat while the plane passed through the turbulence.
"We have a lady who got off her seat coming out or into the bathroom, that's when the situation occurred," her attorney Ramon Garcia, told Texas’s KRGV News.
The woman, along with two other passengers and a crew member, was taken to hospital when the flight 511 landed in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday, Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark said.
Dr Trey Fulp, the spinal surgeon who will perform a second operation today on the passenger, said the woman suffered the same injuries as Christopher Reeve.
"She is paralysed from the nipples to her toes," Dr Trey Fulp told ABC News.
Dr Fulp said she had suffered a “hangman’s fracture”, a neck break commonly seen in patients who hang themselves.
He said it was unclear if the paralysis would be permanent.
Storms had been reported in the Houston area before the flight which had to be delayed several hours. The Boeing 737 carried 104 passengers and five crew members.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25369328-5014090,00.html