What happened
A Boeing 747-236B was operating a flight that received a specific bomb threat while airborne. In response to this security concern, the crew decided to return to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Upon arrival, the decision was made to evacuate all occupants from the aircraft using the onboard escape slides.
According to witness accounts and crew reports, the evacuation was executed with significant speed. The 370 passengers aboard the aircraft exited through eight different doors in approximately 52 seconds. However, not all exits were utilized during this process. The two upper deck exits remained closed, and the two over-wing exits had been blocked to accommodate additional passenger seating configurations.
During the rapid evacuation, one passenger sustained a serious injury. Reports indicate that the injured individual was struck from behind by another passenger while attempting to disembark at the bottom of an escape slide. This collision caused her to fall onto the asphalt ramp surface at the airport. The specific nature of the impact resulted in a broken ankle.
Following the evacuation, the injured passenger received medical attention at the LAX Medical Center. After treatment, she was released from care. Despite the injury, she elected to continue her travel plans on the next available flight rather than remaining at the airport.