Toddler hit by oxygen canister on American Airlines flight
A toddler was struck in the head by an oxygen canister on board an American Airlines flight that was traveling to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave reports. Flight 126 departed from Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday.
According to American Airlines, the plane was inspected and repaired by workers. The aircraft was put back into service Saturday evening.
The one-year-old boy's mother, Jennifer Zanone, told the Star-Telegram an "entire ceiling panel, including a tank full of oxygen, fell onto the head of her son who was sitting on her lap."
In a statement, American Airlines said their flight attendants "offered to request medical personnel meet the aircraft upon arrival at the gate," but Zanone declined medical attention.
"American's primary concern is for the Zanone family and their young child," the statement continued. "Our customer relations team has spoken with Mrs. Zanone to offer additional support and obtain details of what transpired at Dallas/Fort Worth Saturday. Customers trust us to take care of them and we take that responsibility seriously."
Zanone, who shared an image of the fallen ceiling panel on social media, told the Star-Telegram she was "given the runaround" by customer service.
"We stood there waiting for an agent and our stroller until the captain himself walked off the flight and apologized to us," she told the Star-Telegram. "After leaving the gate area, we went to the next customer service area to try to report the incident and were given the runaround for an hour and a half. While the apologies were appreciated, documentation of the incident would have been preferred."
American Airlines is continuing to investigate the incident.