Poor communication between crew blamed for Aer Lingus incident

Poor pilot communication has been blamed for an incident on an Aer Lingus flight that led to one cabin crew member breaking her ankle and the hospitalisation of four others when the aircraft landed in Dublin.

The crew member who broke her ankle said she had “a feeling of being lifted off her feet and then pushed down to the floor of the cabin” when the Airbus 320 pitched suddenly during a flight from Milan in 2012. There were some 62 passengers on board. No one was injured.

Another crew member told investigators she was working in the forward galley with a catering cart when the aircraft pitched. She described experiencing “an enormous pressure, with a feeling of being held down with symptoms such as ringing ears, numb limbs, and seeing black spots”.