Airport Ground Worker Dies After Being Run Over by Airbus A350 During Pushback at Montreal-Trudeau

An airport ground worker was struck and killed by a French Bee Airbus A350 at Montreal Trudeau International Airport after he tripped during a routine pushback operation, according to witness accounts and statements from Montreal police.

The incident happened Monday evening, August 24, 2026, at around 7:30 p.m. local time, as the wide-body jet was being pushed back from its gate ahead of a scheduled departure to Paris. The employee, who worked for ground handling company Samsic, fell onto the tarmac and was struck as the aircraft moved. Preliminary, unconfirmed reports suggest he may have fallen in front of the aircraft's nose landing gear, though federal investigators say the full circumstances of the accident remain under review.

Emergency crews responded within minutes. The worker was transported to a hospital in critical condition, where he later died from his injuries, airport authorities confirmed Tuesday morning.

What Happened on the Tarmac

The aircraft involved was a French Bee Airbus A350-900, preparing to operate a flight from Montreal to Paris Orly Airport. Pushback operations require a tug vehicle to move the plane away from the gate while ground crew members, including a marshaller or signaller who guides the aircraft, monitor the process from positions around the aircraft. Radio-Canada identified the worker involved as a signaller.

According to a witness who spoke to Radio-Canada, the employee tripped and was struck as the aircraft moved. Passengers aboard the flight reportedly witnessed the accident via the aircraft's external camera feed, with some screaming as it unfolded. Once a worker falls in the path of a moving aircraft during pushback, the flight crew and tug driver often have limited visibility of what is happening on the ground immediately around the aircraft.

Ground handling is considered one of the more hazardous jobs in commercial aviation. Workers operate close to engines, wheels, and heavy equipment, often in noisy environments where verbal communication depends on headsets and hand signals.

Investigation Underway

A spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) told Radio-Canada that investigators had been made aware of the accident, though as of Tuesday the TSB had not published a formal deployment notice. Investigators are expected to examine the pushback sequence, including the positioning of ground personnel, communication protocols between the cockpit, tug operator, and ground crew, and the condition of the ramp surface where the worker fell. Officials have said all circumstances surrounding the accident remain under review.

Airport Operations

Airport authorities confirmed the incident affected operations in the immediate area around the gate, though wider airport activity continued largely as normal. French Bee's scheduled return flight to Paris that evening was canceled following the incident; a separate French Bee A350, F-HREU, operated the airline's regularly scheduled BF761 service just after midnight.

Trudeau Airport is the busiest airport in Quebec and one of the largest in Canada, handling millions of passengers each year. It serves as a major hub for Air Canada and receives service from dozens of international carriers, including French Bee, which launched its Montreal service in April 2025.

Ground Crew Safety

Deaths involving ground personnel during pushback are rare but not unheard of. Similar accidents have occurred at airports around the world, prompting airlines and airports to update training and safety procedures over the years.

Standard practice calls for ground crew members to remain well clear of an aircraft's landing gear during pushback, with designated walk paths and communication signals to alert the tug operator if something goes wrong. Any deviation from these procedures can have fatal consequences given the size and weight of a wide-body aircraft: the A350-900 involved in Monday's accident has a maximum takeoff weight of roughly 280 metric tons.

The identity of the worker has not been publicly released. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected in the coming days.