Everyone makes mistakes throughout their lives, but some hiccups can end up being a bit more costly than others. For one United Airlines flight attendant, a clumsy mistake on a flight from Colorado to California cost tens of thousands of dollars. The plane had just landed at Sacramento, and the passengers were preparing to get off, bags in hand, when suddenly, the emergency side exit flew open. The blow-up slide ejected with a loud, ear-piercing fwoosh, and everyone stood in shock, staring out at the tarmac.
“This was a United airlines flight today from DEN to SAC I was sitting in first class row 2 saw it all,” recalls a passenger, posting photos of the whole ordeal to r/mildlyinfuriating. “The FPSHHHHH sound[s] and the slide ejects as the door opens. [There was a] Look of horror on the FA’s face.” Fortunately, the holdup to disembark was only around 20 minutes; everyone on board ended up getting off via the stairs instead of being connected to a terminal bridge.
As to why the flight attendant did this, many commenters claim it was likely because she forgot to disarm the ejection mechanism while doing a cross-check of the exits. According to OP, the United Airlines flight attendant seemed new from the way she spoke over the intercom and reacted when the exit accidentally burst open.
“When your first day at a new job is also your last,” remarks a commenter. While no one was injured and everyone got off fairly quickly after the incident, one person claiming to be an airline pilot states that the costs of her mistake are monumental.
“It’s over $100k,” commented the pilot. “You need to factor in the subsequent flying that plane was going to do, but now isn’t, and the costs incurred by it. Crew costs as well.” Some people predicted at least $30K to $50K at the very least, but a $100K loss is definitely worthy of losing one’s job.
And for anyone wondering, OP does clarify that no one was allowed to use the slide, as fun as it might have sounded. They aren’t built for comfort, but for emergencies. As one person put it, “Some people could break ribs, arms or legs when going down. Happens all the time during evacutation.”
