An Air New Zealand flight attendant hit her head and was left slipping in and out of consciousness on a recent flight from Wellington to Christchurch reports local news outlet Stuff. One passenger on the flight said the flight attendant had to be taken off the plane by paramedics on arrival in Christchurch after hitting her head just minutes into the flight.
Vito Nonumalo described how the two flight attendants onboard the ATR regional turboprop aircraft were struggling to stand as “severe” turbulence shook the plane shortly after takeoff.
“The jolts were big and sharp, but they were short,” Nonumalo said of the turbulence. One of the flight attendants apparently hit her head on a cupboard and was seen holding the back of her head in pain.
Initially, Nonumalo says the flight attendant insisted she was okay. “About 10 minutes later she collapsed near the back of the plane,” Nonumalo said. Another passenger helped get the injured flight attendant into the recovery position before she was put in a passenger seat at the back of the plane.
Nonumalo says the flight attendant then seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the flight, which was thankfully just over 30 minutes. On arrival, paramedics board the aircraft and took the flight attendant off ahead of the passengers.
Air New Zealand has thanked the public for the “care and concern” they’ve shown for the flight attendant but has declined to comment on her condition citing privacy rules. The Transport Accident Investigation Committee has not yet opened a docket for the incident.
