Don Mueang airport’s escalator accident not caused by poor maintenance

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, fdimike said:

It looks like a moving walkway to me rather than an escalator which normally moves people up/down from one floor to another.  I think there's something amiss in this report.

The only thing amiss is people who think they know it all without any reference to the facts of the matter.

[Gaccha]

2 hours ago, fdimike said:

It looks like a moving walkway to me rather than an escalator

It's described by the airport as a travelator.

[Nabbiex]

Apart from that frustrating above debates, please join me to give the unfortunate lady the very speedy recovery & to be able walking again super soon. 

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, nchuckle said:

This fanciful nonsense suggesting it has any relationship to this accident calls into question the rest of his assurances on the maintenance. 

Anyone using mechanical assistance in any form should be paying attention to what is happening, those on cell phones are not doing that.

In the interest of personal safety it is a personal responsibility to take care when joining or leaving an escalator or walkway.

The 700 baht PSC is a ring fenced tax for airport security, upkeep and passenger services, fairly obvious from comments that those on this forum would like to see that raised to improve the upkeep.

Edited July 1, 2023 by sandyf

[norbra]

Have the paparazzi been banned?

No loading into ambulance,no admission to hospital,no interviews no reporting from hospital 

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, fdimike said:

I find it hard to believe that DM Apt had this device installed for 30 years.

Especially when the airport was closed between 2006 and 2012.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

And what do you call the above, floor's panel falling and bolts failing a well maintained escalator system?

Correct, surely they should check all the floor panels and bolts and any found to be suspect changed out? Good job they don't maintain aircraft?

[Kwaibill]

Not every circumstance is foreseeable. Most maintenance “ inspections” are a look-see, not hand checking every nut and bolt in a complex mechanical system. Why they are called “accidents”.

Sad for the lady, but at least the airport has accepted responsibility, if not blame.

Murphy is exonerated once again.

[Chongalulu]

35 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Anyone using mechanical assistance in any form should be paying attention to what is happening, those on cell phones are not doing that.

In the interest of personal safety it is a personal responsibility to take care when joining or leaving an escalator or walkway.

The 700 baht PSC is a ring fenced tax for airport security, upkeep and passenger services, fairly obvious from comments that those on this forum would like to see that raised to improve the upkeep.

It is perfectly legal to drive (mechanical assistance) which on hands free and there are a host of more challenging activities then stepping off a walkway where using a phone is not considered perilous. 

In any case the worst that should happen if not paying attention is falling over after being ejected from the walkway. There is no scenario, given the design that in normal circumstances and correct functioning that you get ingested into the mechanism. The man is deflecting.

[steven100]

36 minutes ago, norbra said:

Have the paparazzi been banned?

No loading into ambulance,no admission to hospital,no interviews no reporting from hospital 

yes, because they can't say anything bad

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

“The end of the walk is ahead.”  Now, where have I heard that?

A funeral?

[Dr B]

I must first say that I feel very sorry for this lady, who has suffered a horrendous accident.

Having said that, I would like to point out something that none of the KWs seem to have noticed, and to which even the media have paid little attention. Please look at the two photographs from The Mail article. The first shows one side of her "suitcase" with the wheels damaged, and the second allows a check of the scale against the very unfortunate woman's leg. That is a suitcase, so why is she in possession of it at that location in the airport. Not just Don Muang, but airports all over the world, are not designed for passengers to take suitcases onto aircraft. The concept is that passengers arrive at Departure Level, go to check in, and deposit their luggage. Thereafter (1) the luggage is transported by a baggage handling system, in which at the end of a conveyor, the luggage tumbles onto the next conveyor. This is happening all the time in airports around the world, works well, and is fine for bags, but not for people. As a result (2) the people only have "hand carry" luggage, which the airlines prescribe to generally be less than 7 kg, and within a set of dimensions so that it can fit within the overhead lockers. This also means that, when using escalators or travelators, you can step off at the end, carrying your hand baggage. This is what they are designed for, and the "scrapers" at the ends which seem to be a yellow plastic in this case, are there to prevent small items of rubbish from getting taken round into the mechanism and jamming it. They are not designed to scrape luggage or passengers off the travelator or escalator.

It is easy to note that in both airports and supermarkets, where trolleys are used to carry loads on travelators, the trolleys always have quite large wheels, at least 75 mm in diameter, so that they can easily negotiate the ends of travelators. But also note that, in Airports, the luggage trolleys do not get past check-in, and the smaller hand carry luggage trolleys are normally banned from travelators.

What has happened is that there is a growing number of passengers who do not want to check-in luggage, probably considering that it "wastes their time". We have all seen them struggling down the aisles of aircraft with too many and too large bags, and so heavy that they cannot even lift them into a locker without help. Airports are not designed for this. Obviously one cannot tell the weight of a suitcase from a photograph, but I would venture to suggest that the one in this case weighed well over 7 kg. Luggage manufacturers encourage this behaviour, fitting their suitcases with wheels, but generally very small ones. So I suspect from all the information available that the passenger was travelling on the travelator standing just behind her suitcase. At the end the small wheels, under heavy load, got jammed at the "scraper" for reasons which I do not know without mechanical examination, where the travelator starts to drop down. This would stop the progress of the suitcase, so the travelator would push the passenger into the suitcase causing her to fall over. The travelators are not designed for passengers lying on the floor, and it is likely that there was already some opening up of the scrapers caused by the wheels. That would allow the end of her jeans to get trapped into the same area, which would quickly pull the leg and foot in with it.

There may be a need for changes in the future, but they will not come quickly. For now, to stay safe, simply follow the rules. Check in your suitcases, have only regulation hand carry on bags in terms of weight and size, and step off travelators and escalators carrying your bags as you do so. I did note that there was some reposting of information about a similar incident a few years ago involving a white Croc sandal. The wearer advised that he had managed to get his foot out of the sandal and was very lucky to avoid injury. However he also mentioned that he was "stepping off the travelator" at the time, and I have to doubt this. I do not believe it could have happened if he had stepped off. It is more likely that, perhaps because he was on his phone or otherwise distracted, he did not step off and was relying on the scarpers to transfer his body weight from the travelator to solid ground, for which they were not designed.

[Mr Dome]

Caused by <deleted>ty construction then, as these things must withstand small objects falling onto them. These saving face exercises are quite tiring. Can't ever admit it was your responsibility or even the fault of the mechanical object involved ????

 

Anyway, this horrific incidence plus the "great welcome" I received the last time I arrived at DMK firmed up my decision not to fly out of there on one of my next trips.

[blackshadow]

6 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

A likely story.....

 

 

lets see the records........

[HuaHinHim]

3 hours ago, findlay13 said:

"As such, it is unlikely that poor maintenance was the cause of the accident, claimed Boonpong."

We will soon be hearing it was completely the lady's fault and she will need to pay for all the expenses incurred.????

I could imagine that happening quite easy.

[marin]

2 minutes ago, Mr Dome said:

Anyway, this horrific incidence plus the "great welcome" I received the last time I arrived at DMK firmed up my decision not to fly out of there on one of my next trips.

Well good for you. I am sure the staff at DMK are in tears now. ????

[Mr Dome]

6 hours ago, Moonlover said:

In a BBC report:

 

'The 57-year-old's leg got stuck on Thursday morning after she tripped over her suitcase while on her way to board a flight, local media said'.

 

'A pink suitcase next to her had lost two wheels, while yellow comb plates typically found at the end of travelators had also broken off'.

 

Now that might sound a bit fanciful to some but not to me, because I witnessed a very similar accident at a tube station on London's underground. A lady had her suitcases in front of her and when she got to the bottom the cases jammed in the off ramp and she fell forward. So I know it can happen.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66062753

 

Sure, falling forward could happen but the travelator "eating her leg" in that scenario is rather unlikely, no?

[Mr Dome]

2 minutes ago, marin said:

Well good for you. I am sure the staff at DMK are in tears now. ????

And you would feel perfectly safe there now - that your point?

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, proton said:

True, I have often said to the Mrs car needs going in for a service and get the what for it's still working answer.

I remember doing that years ago taking my car to the main dealer for a service, and the guy said to whats up with it, nothing I need it servicing as per the service manual, idiot 

[Muzzique]

Did no one think that small objects can be dropped or fall onto a travelator? If it's not poor maintenance then it's a serious design flaw. Either way, there is no wriggling out of it. 

[cardinalblue]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

He should be stacking shelves at 7-11... pure BS.

If a floor panel became loose creating a floor gap, then it’s a maintenance issue and a faulty design issue… 

 

This is nothing to shake a leg at….

[stoner]

17 minutes ago, Dr B said:

the passenger was travelling on the travelator standing just behind her suitcase. At the end the small wheels, under heavy load, got jammed at the "scraper" for reasons which I do not know without mechanical examination, where the travelator starts to drop down. This would stop the progress of the suitcase, so the travelator would push the passenger into the suitcase causing her to fall over. The travelators are not designed for passengers lying on the floor, and it is likely that there was already some opening up of the scrapers caused by the wheels. That would allow the end of her jeans to get trapped into the same area, which would quickly pull the leg and foot in with it.

maybe a few of the scraper teeth were bent or broken off (due to issues with the loose bolt) giving the suitcase just enough space to leverage it up and break free. the rest would happen so fast she wouldn't have time to react. 

 

 

 

 

[Sandboxer]

As long as the maintenance "engineer" ???? took a pic of the travelator on his morning "maintenance check" as per Thai S.O.P. for every job that requires an employee to actually get off their azz and walk around for more than 10 meters as part of his/her job, everything is just fine. All systems nominal.

 

It's like walking in to a doctor's office, doc looks at you for 3 seconds and declares "all good, I don't see no HIV."

Edited July 1, 2023 by Sandboxer

[jacknorman]

Surgical setback: Airport amputation victim's reattachment hopes dashed for safety reasons | Thaiger (thethaiger.com)

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Seems like we should always position wheeled luggage behind us when exiting travelators and escalators.

Sure, pull not push.

And as in the OP: hold the handrail and for a minute (only) keep your eyes and fingers off the mobile. Very hard for many Thais I know, but please try.

 

[Moonlover]

45 minutes ago, Mr Dome said:

Sure, falling forward could happen but the travelator "eating her leg" in that scenario is rather unlikely, no?

Who said anything about her falling forward?

 

Mr. Dome I am speaking as an engineer for almost all of my career with a strong suit in trouble shooting.

 

Her pink suitcase was lying beside with the wheels broken off. I would hazard that it was the wheels that jammed the travelator and consider this to be the only possible explanation for this accident.

 

Come up with a more plausible explanation if you can. I would welcome your input.

 

P. S. Please read Dr. B's account before replying.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Moonlover

[webfact]

Faulty suitcase wheel may have triggered Don Mueang airport walkway accident
By Mitch Connor

 

Photo: @kiti_harnz via Thai Rescue News.

 

A malfunctioning suitcase wheel is potentially behind an unfortunate incident that took place at Don Mueang airport’s moving walkways, causing a woman to lose part of her left leg, according to the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT).

 

An advisor to the EIT’s mechanical engineering committee, Boonpong Kijwatanachai, recently provided an update about the ongoing investigation into the travellator system malfunction, which resulted in the unsettling occurrence yesterday morning.

 

The EIT’s initial analysis suggests that a wheel from the victim’s suitcase could have got stuck, causing damage to the moving walkway’s comb section. This breakage might have created an opening in the platform large enough for the woman’s leg to slip through and get trapped.

Contrary to what one might anticipate in such an incident, the sensor systems of the moving walkway functioned as expected, ruling out any errors in the system while the mishap happened, stated Kijwatanachai.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/faulty-suitcase-wheel-may-have-triggered-don-mueang-airport-walkway-accident

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-07-01

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

[Moonlover]

47 minutes ago, Dr B said:

I must first say that I feel very sorry for this lady, who has suffered a horrendous accident.

Having said that, I would like to point out something that none of the KWs seem to have noticed, and to which even the media have paid little attention. Please look at the two photographs from The Mail article. The first shows one side of her "suitcase" with the wheels damaged, and the second allows a check of the scale against the very unfortunate woman's leg. That is a suitcase, so why is she in possession of it at that location in the airport. Not just Don Muang, but airports all over the world, are not designed for passengers to take suitcases onto aircraft. The concept is that passengers arrive at Departure Level, go to check in, and deposit their luggage. Thereafter (1) the luggage is transported by a baggage handling system, in which at the end of a conveyor, the luggage tumbles onto the next conveyor. This is happening all the time in airports around the world, works well, and is fine for bags, but not for people. As a result (2) the people only have "hand carry" luggage, which the airlines prescribe to generally be less than 7 kg, and within a set of dimensions so that it can fit within the overhead lockers. This also means that, when using escalators or travelators, you can step off at the end, carrying your hand baggage. This is what they are designed for, and the "scrapers" at the ends which seem to be a yellow plastic in this case, are there to prevent small items of rubbish from getting taken round into the mechanism and jamming it. They are not designed to scrape luggage or passengers off the travelator or escalator.

It is easy to note that in both airports and supermarkets, where trolleys are used to carry loads on travelators, the trolleys always have quite large wheels, at least 75 mm in diameter, so that they can easily negotiate the ends of travelators. But also note that, in Airports, the luggage trolleys do not get past check-in, and the smaller hand carry luggage trolleys are normally banned from travelators.

What has happened is that there is a growing number of passengers who do not want to check-in luggage, probably considering that it "wastes their time". We have all seen them struggling down the aisles of aircraft with too many and too large bags, and so heavy that they cannot even lift them into a locker without help. Airports are not designed for this. Obviously one cannot tell the weight of a suitcase from a photograph, but I would venture to suggest that the one in this case weighed well over 7 kg. Luggage manufacturers encourage this behaviour, fitting their suitcases with wheels, but generally very small ones. So I suspect from all the information available that the passenger was travelling on the travelator standing just behind her suitcase. At the end the small wheels, under heavy load, got jammed at the "scraper" for reasons which I do not know without mechanical examination, where the travelator starts to drop down. This would stop the progress of the suitcase, so the travelator would push the passenger into the suitcase causing her to fall over. The travelators are not designed for passengers lying on the floor, and it is likely that there was already some opening up of the scrapers caused by the wheels. That would allow the end of her jeans to get trapped into the same area, which would quickly pull the leg and foot in with it.

There may be a need for changes in the future, but they will not come quickly. For now, to stay safe, simply follow the rules. Check in your suitcases, have only regulation hand carry on bags in terms of weight and size, and step off travelators and escalators carrying your bags as you do so. I did note that there was some reposting of information about a similar incident a few years ago involving a white Croc sandal. The wearer advised that he had managed to get his foot out of the sandal and was very lucky to avoid injury. However he also mentioned that he was "stepping off the travelator" at the time, and I have to doubt this. I do not believe it could have happened if he had stepped off. It is more likely that, perhaps because he was on his phone or otherwise distracted, he did not step off and was relying on the scarpers to transfer his body weight from the travelator to solid ground, for which they were not designed.

Well done Dr. B. Avery long explanation which will probably bore the pants off most of the sceptics here. However I completely agree with you.

[Marcous]

 

Is that an emergency stop button right at the top of the image, towards the left?

 

From the PBS article, it stopped itself automatically after 20 seconds, which is an awfully long time for no action to be taken by staff or other passengers.

 

Maybe there wasn't an emergency stop?

 

 

[Dr B]

25 minutes ago, stoner said:

maybe a few of the scraper teeth were bent or broken off (due to issues with the loose bolt) giving the suitcase just enough space to leverage it up and break free. the rest would happen so fast she wouldn't have time to react. 

 

 

 

 

True, but the suitcase should not be there at all. Airports are not designed for it.