Severe Injuries Reported for Air Canada Flight Attendant After LaGuardia Crash
Air Canada Flight Incident Overview
A flight attendant from Air Canada, who was thrown from a plane during a tragic incident at LaGuardia Airport in New York, has been seen in a hospital for the first time. Her family has shared details about her serious injuries. Solange Tremblay, a seasoned crew member with 26 years of experience, was ejected over 320 feet from the aircraft when Jazz flight 8646, coming from Montreal, collided with a fire truck on the runway on March 22. Her daughter, Sarah Lepine, mentioned in a fundraising campaign that her mother was discovered still secured in her jump seat on the tarmac. "During the crash she was… ejected over 320 feet from the wreckage. She was found still strapped in her jump seat lying on the tarmac," she stated.
Lepine detailed the severe injuries her mother sustained in the crash. "My mother's injuries include two shattered legs (open fractures) requiring multiple surgeries where metal plates are needed to repair the damage done to her legs," she explained. Additionally, Tremblay has a fractured spine and may need further surgical intervention. "She sustained a fractured spine where she continues to wait and see if surgery is required," Lepine added.
There are also significant complications, including extensive soft tissue damage. "Furthermore, she requires skin grafts to repair the missing flesh she lost on her legs while sliding down the tarmac," Lepine noted. Following complications from an initial surgery, her mother needed a blood transfusion. Tragically, both pilots lost their lives in the crash, which devastated the cockpit area of the aircraft, and many others were injured.
Lepine expressed concern for her mother's long recovery journey. "My mom has suffered so much from this event and regrettably her struggles are far from over," she said. "She will have to undergo several other surgeries, along with intensive rehabilitation to learn how to walk again. At the moment our greatest fear is the risk of infection which could lead to other horrifying complications if her injuries become infected," she added.
She described her mother as a dedicated professional. "My mother dedicated her entire life as a flight attendant, and was very proud of her work. She loved serving the public and helping them travel safely from their respective destinations."
The incident is currently under investigation, with initial reports suggesting potential miscommunication in air traffic control. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash to ascertain the cause. Kathryn Garcia, who leads the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, stated that they are awaiting further insights. "At this point we're going to wait for the [National Transportation Safety Board] to give us some guidance on what occurred and if there's anything that needs to be changed," she told CBS News New York. She refrained from speculating whether infrastructure issues, such as runway length, contributed to the incident. "As I said, I can't speculate on what they're gonna find. Obviously, the [Federal Aviation Administration] has strong regulatory authority over our airports, including everything from the size of a runway to the lights, to the signs," she remarked. One firefighter injured in the crash has since been released from the hospital.