Flying Club trainee bumped by plane’s wing

Pilot accused of showing off, straying off course.

LAHORE: A Flying Club trainee was hit by a Cessna plane, on Wednesday, while standing on the Walton Airport runway. She has been shifted to a hospital, where she is in trauma. According to doctors, she may take two weeks to recover.

Twenty-year-old Khadija Mahmood, a resident of Sarwar Colony, was accidently bumped by a plane’s wing at the Lahore Flying Club (LFC). Mahmood was taken to Doctors’ Hospital by her family. LFC officials had initially taken her to National Hospital and then dropped her off at her residence. Mahmood had been training for 8 months at the LFC.

Mahmood’s uncle Humayum Aslam told The Express Tribune that his niece was standing on the runway along with some friends and fellow trainees when a plane piloted by Captain Alexon, and carrying another trainee, was landing. He said that as the plane was taxying, the captain started showing off.

He said the pilot diverted the plane off its course, and all the trainees in its way fled except for Mahmood who was taken by surprise as the plane’s wing bumped her and she was thrown back a few feet.

He said that she was taken to National Hospital and brought back home by Captain Alexon who insisted that she was absolutely fine.

At night, Aslam said, Mahmood’s condition aggravated and she was admitted to the ICU of Doctors’ Hospital for a week. Hospital sources said she was “mostly fine”. They put recovery time at around two weeks.

Aslam said that the pilot had told the girl that his licence and his job would be in jeopardy if she told the truth. He said the family members only found out when Mahmood felt dizzy and started vomiting.  He said a complaint would be filed against Captain Alexon.

Walton Road airport manager Abdullah Khan Leghari said the LFC had not even reported the case to the aviation authorities and Mahmood’s family had refused him access to record her statement.

He said they had been told that the girl tried to duck as the plane approached and was standing on the runway.

He said he had been asked by the aviation authorities to conduct a preliminary investigation and record statements of all present at the time of the incident.

He added that if the pilot was found guilty his licence would be suspended. Captain Alexon had recently been selected to serve as a commercial pilot.  Representatives of both Doctors’ Hospital and National Hospital declined to comments. The other trainees when approached also refused comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th,  2011.