Earl Kim, a Fueller and Quality Control technician at Ontario Airport (ONT), has been widely praised after spotting an issue with another handler’s flight and stepping in to prevent a major safety incident.
In early March, Earl was about to begin fuelling an A300 when he spotted a serious issue on the nearby UPS ramp: the aircraft’s tail stand was not in place, and a cargo offload had already begun. He immediately approached and alerted the UPS supervisor, who stopped the unloading process to correct the problem.
Tail stands are designed to support the rear of an aircraft while cargo is being offloaded. As weight is removed from the front, the containers nearer the rear will weigh the tail down, tilting the plane – unless a stand is in place to keep it upright.
Kyle Stephens, General Manager – ONT, said: “Earl spotted an incredibly dangerous, and very rare situation on another company’s ramp which could have resulted in a major accident. It’s a big thing for him to see something he’s not responsible for and to call it out – a pretty awesome job, in fact.”