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Traveler shares moment of humanity on Charlotte tarmac after airline employee dies
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Following the sudden death of a 66-year-old American Airlines employee on the tarmac, his coworkers observed a moment of silence on Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s tarmac outside Gate B12.
A police report revealed the man was hit by an American Airlines tug on the ramp at Gate B12 at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27.
Passengers told WBTV they were asked to lower their window shades.
A Charlotte man was preparing to fly out for work in the aviation industry when he realized what he was witnessing.
“When I walked into the terminal and looked through the through the windows, I saw the emergency vehicles all surrounded out there, a couple fire trucks, a bunch of ambulances,” said Shawn Landry, “[I] got down to my gate and then I noticed all of the American Airlines or the ramp employees gathering in a circle and everything kind of went quiet. It seemed you know something serious had gone on.”
He said as passengers in the terminal learned what happened, the terminal grew quiet and became somber.
Landry served in the Air Force as a mechanic and now works in corporate aviation. He said what he saw next really moved him and caused him to snap a photo of employees gathering for a moment of silence.
“Some team members or management were walking around circle hugging some individuals,” Landry explained. “It was pretty powerful to see everybody circling up and kind of taking a few minutes….and you know you can see some of them crying. And they just took a quick couple minutes probably of reflection and then and then broke up and went back to work.”
While watching it all unfold, Landry reached out to his son who works on the ramp at Concord’s regional airport just north of Charlotte.
“We talked about, you know, having your head on a swivel, you know, slowing down,” explained Landry. “You can always do everything and sometimes even these things happen.”
The US Department of Labor Statistics reports between 2011 and 2023 fatal accidents like what happened at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Monday have happened less than ten times a year. In some of those years, there were no deaths at all.
Needless to say, what happened on Monday morning, was truly a rare tragedy.
“You can tell that the safety culture is big. You know, everybody’s wearing vests. You know, there’s the gloves, the the knee pads. You can see kind of see from the from standing on the outside that there seems to be a fairly decent safety culture there and it’s just sometimes, things don’t work out,” Landry explained. “I know the the world that they live in and it’s just unfortunate sometimes, you know, there’s an accident like this.”
He said this moment of humanity captured in his photo will remain a reminder to him and others to treasure every moment.
“It made me made me think, you know, about what I do every day and what you know the people around me are– and it’s just very, very important to take the time and you know, tell your loved ones you love them and make sure that. You know you do the best you can to come home at the end of the day,” Landry said somberly. “No matter your differences or opinions on anything…Somebody went to work and did not go home…I feel for this, this individual’s family and friends…you know, you never know.”
An American Airlines employee told WBTV a couple people were given a rare day off Tuesday after witnessing the deadly incident.
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport told WBTV chaplains were present speaking to employees grieving the loss of a coworker.
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I was on a flight from Atlanta to Charlotte when tragedy struck. A fellow passenger, an airline employee, suddenly collapsed on the tarmac as we were preparing to board the plane. It was a shocking and heartbreaking moment for everyone involved.
As emergency personnel rushed to the scene, the rest of us stood there in stunned silence, unsure of what to do. That’s when a fellow traveler, a woman I had never met before, stepped forward and offered a simple but powerful gesture of humanity.
She walked over to the fallen employee’s co-worker, who was visibly distraught, and embraced her in a hug. It was a small act of kindness, but it spoke volumes about the compassion and empathy we can show to one another in times of crisis.
In that moment, the usual hustle and bustle of the airport faded away, and all that mattered was the human connection between us. It was a reminder that no matter how busy or hectic our lives may be, we can always find moments of kindness and solidarity with our fellow travelers.
As we eventually boarded the plane and continued on with our journey, I couldn’t shake the memory of that moment on the tarmac. It was a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of showing compassion to those around us, especially in times of need.
I may never see that woman again, but her act of kindness will stay with me forever. It was a brief but powerful reminder that we are all connected in our humanity, and that a simple gesture of kindness can make a world of difference in someone’s darkest hour.
Tags:
- Charlotte airport
- Traveler
- Humanity
- Airline employee
- Tarmac moment
- Charlotte tragedy
- Airport compassion
- Traveler kindness
- Airline worker
- Charlotte community
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