Flight Attendant Dies in Freak Mishap

An American Airlines flight attendant preparing to disembark passengers after an emergency landing Monday was killed when he opened a door before the plane depressurized, authorities said.

Jose Chiu “was basically sucked out” onto the tarmac, said Nelda Fonticiella, a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department.

It was unknown whether the jet had stopped before the door was opened.

Chiu, 34, was a 10-year employee based in New York.

Three people on the plane were taken to area hospitals for treatment, but no names or details were released and their conditions were unknown. Twenty passengers were treated for minor injuries.

The plane, with 129 people on board, was flying from Miami to Port au Prince, Haiti, when a cockpit warning light indicated an engine fire. The pilot made an emergency return to Miami less than 30 minutes after takeoff and was on a taxiway when the incident occurred.

There was no evidence of an engine fire, authorities said. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Meanwhile, a Northwest Airlines flight had to return to Minneapolis after a 1-foot-diameter hole developed in one wing as the plane was bound for Portland, Ore. The plane returned to Minneapolis.

Flight 375, with 179 passengers aboard, made a normal landing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, an airline spokesman said.

Mechanics were trying to determine what caused the hole to form in the leading edge of the wing. A preliminary investigation found no evidence of any fire or explosion, the spokesman said.

The passengers were put on another plane to finish the trip.