Canoe

Monday, November 20, 2000

Crew member sucked out of plane

MIAMI (AP) -- An American Airlines crew member opened a jetliner door during an emergency evacuation at the airport and fell to his death on the tarmac Monday, police said.

Four other people were injured during the evacuation of Flight 1291, which had been en route to Port au Prince, Haiti.

The plane, an Airbus A300 with 130 people aboard, had returned to the Miami airport after a cockpit warning light came on indicating an engine fire, said airport spokeswoman Inson Kim.

After it landed, a crew member opened a cabin door before the fuselage was depressurized and "was basically sucked out of the plane onto the tarmac," said Nelda Fonticiella, a Miami-Dade County police spokeswoman.

No evidence of fire was found.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), November 20, 2000