Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia – A Korean Air Boeing MD-11 tipped back on its tail while being unloaded Wednesday at Sydney Airport, trapping 10 crew members onboard, officials said. No one was injured.
The mishap left the nose of the Korean Airlines cargo jet tilted skyward.
Police spokesman Ron Mason said the incident happened shortly after the jet arrived in Sydney from Seoul.
The plane tilted after a car being unloaded from the cargo hold dropped several yards to the ground, shifting the aircraft’s balance, Mason said.
Emergency services crews rushed to the scene to rescue the crew members on board. It took more than an hour for a movable elevator to get them to the ground, he said.
Airport staff said baggage handlers with Qantas Airways were responsible for unloading the plane, which also had chemicals onboard. A Qantas spokeswoman said they were working under direction from a Korean Airlines load master.
Korean Airlines officials in Australia were not available for comment and there were no details immediately available about the extent of the damage.
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