The man who intercepted a runaway cart at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Monday has spoken out about the almost-hazardous incident.
“I was just doing my job,” Envoy ramp instructor Jorge Manalang said in a statement. Envoy, a subsidiary of American Airlines.
A rogue runaway catering vehicle wreaked havoc at O’Hare Monday, spiraling out of control and nearly crashing into a plane parked at the gate. While beverages were being loaded onto the aircraft, a case of water fell onto the gas pedal which sent the cart spinning.
A video of the incident showed the cart, operated by airline catering company Gate Gourmet, swinging in circles at high speed, despite having no one behind the wheel. Several employees watched from the sidelines as the vehicle careened closer and closer to a nearby American Airlines plane.
Before it collided, however, Manalang drove a second vehicle into the cart — a push-back tug, which is used to push back an aircraft from the gate — slamming the wayward machine on its side and thus ending the chaos.
The man who intercepted a runaway cart at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Monday has spoken out about the almost-hazardous incident. (Photo: Courtesy of Envoy)
“Safety is our number one priority and I did not want anyone to get hurt, so I used the pushback to stop the cart,” Manalang added in the statement. He will be recognized for his efforts, according to an Envoy statement.
American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said no one was injured and applauded Manalang, whose quick action stopped the vehicle before it crashed into a nearby regional jet operated by American Eagle.
Contributing: Dawn Gilbertson, Charles Trepany
Source: Read Full Article