Air NZ crew heads home alone after LA suicide

Air NZ crew heads home alone after LA suicide

25.02.2004
By LOUISA CLEAVE

Thirteen Air New Zealand cabin crew members were flown home from the
United States without their passengers after witnessing a suicide on
their way to work.

Passengers booked on flight NZ3 from Los Angeles to Auckland on Sunday
were put on other Air New Zealand flights after the incident, said Ed
Sims, general manager international airline.

The crew was in a minibus on the way to LAX when a person jumped off
an overbridge and landed on their vehicle.

The person then fell on the highway into the path of traffic.

Mr Sims said the crew went to assist but the person was dead and they
were "faced with a horrific scene".

The highway was closed while emergency services removed the body and
the crew assisted before continuing to LAX, he said.

The pilots had travelled separately to the airport.

Air New Zealand said it was notified "within minutes" of the incident
and a chief medical officer liaised with the crew, their in-flight
service director and the airport manager.

Some staff were visibly shaken, said Mr Sims.

"Although some of them said they were okay to undertake their shift on
NZ3, it was possible delayed shock might set in. Therefore, the
airline was not prepared to put their wellbeing and customer service
delivery and safety at risk."

The decision was made to fly the Boeing 747-400 back to Auckland with
only the 13 crew and in-flight service director on board. An airline
spokesman said the cost of flying the aircraft home without passengers
would have been "up to $50,000".

Mr Sims said the passengers due to fly on NZ3 would have experienced
delays of up to four hours.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydispl...ection=general