Ground worker killed by French bee A350 during pushback at Montreal-Trudeau airport
A ramp agent died Monday evening after being struck by the nose wheel of a French bee Airbus A350 during a pushback operation at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The worker, identified by multiple outlets as 39-year-old Oscar Robayo, was serving as a wing walker when his foot became caught and he was pulled into the aircraft’s path as it reversed off the gate, according to a Montreal police official cited by The Canadian Press.
He was rushed to hospital and later pronounced dead. The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. local time, while the wide-body jet was being pushed back for a departure. If you were watching flight trackers that night, you’d have seen the aircraft sit stationary on the tarmac for well over an hour after the pushback stopped.
Key takeaways
- A YUL ramp agent, identified as 39-year-old Oscar Robayo, died Monday evening after being struck by the nose wheel of a French bee A350 during pushback, according to Montreal police.
- If you work ramp side at any Canadian airport, this is a reminder that wing walker positioning near the nose gear during reversal is one of the highest-risk moments in ground handling.
- ADM Aéroports de Montréal has not reported wider disruption to runway operations, so travelers flying out of YUL this week should expect normal schedules unless notified otherwise.
- The IAM, which represents ground crews at Canadian airports, is expected to press for a review of pushback and wing walker protocols following the death.
- Montreal police will investigate the immediate cause, while federal labour authorities examine whether workplace safety rules under the Canada Labour Code were followed.
What happened Monday evening at YUL
The pushback began like any routine departure sequence. A tug attached to the A350’s nose gear, ground crew took their positions, and the aircraft started rolling backward from the gate under tow. Somewhere in that sequence, according to an aviation incident tracking account describing the event shortly after it happened, the wing walker tripped and fell directly into the path of the aircraft’s nose wheel.
Timeline of the pushback operation
| Approximate time | Event |
|---|---|
| ~7:30 p.m. | Pushback begins; aircraft starts reversing from gate |
| Moments later | Wing walker’s foot becomes caught; worker falls near nose gear |
| Immediately after | Aircraft’s nose wheel strikes the worker |
| Within minutes | Ground crew and emergency responders reach the scene |
| Shortly after | Worker transported to hospital |
| Later that night | Worker pronounced dead |
How the wing walker became pinned by the nose wheel
Early accounts agree on one detail: the worker tripped and fell before the aircraft could stop. A wing walker’s job during pushback is to monitor clearance from a fixed position beside the wingtip or nose area, ready to signal the tug operator to halt immediately if something goes wrong. Once a person is on the ground in the aircraft’s rolling path, though, the reaction window collapses to a second or two, not nearly enough time for a multi-ton aircraft under tow to stop.
A passenger aboard the flight later described the scene on the tarmac to reporters, recalling ground crew rushing toward the nose gear and a chaotic response as emergency services arrived within minutes.
Who was Oscar Robayo
Oscar Robayo, 39, worked as a ramp agent at Montreal-Trudeau airport, according to reporting that cited details shared by a passenger on the affected flight. Ramp agents handle a range of tasks beyond wing walking, including baggage loading, aircraft marshaling, and coordination with pushback tug crews.
Role as a ramp agent and years of service
Specifics about Robayo’s tenure and employer at the time of his death have not been made public. Ramp operations at large Canadian airports are frequently subcontracted to third-party ground handling companies rather than run directly by the airlines whose aircraft they service, a structure that has drawn scrutiny in past labour disputes over training standards and staffing levels.
The aircraft and airline involved
French bee, the French low-cost long-haul carrier, operates Airbus A350-900 aircraft on transatlantic routes that include service between Paris and Montreal. The airline is part of the Dubreuil Group and has built its business model around offering long-haul flights at lower fares.