Hero Tow Truck Driver Did What He Had To Do In Plane Crash
Published: December 10, 2005
Majdi AbdelQader looked at the scene Friday where a Southwest Airlines 737 skidded off the runway at Midway, as much in awe as he was Thursday night, when he was heading north on Central Avenue and saw the incident unfold.
“It’s was like we were in the movies,” said AbdelQader. “There is a plane on 55th and Central.”
The 31-year-old tow truck driver said he was there as it happened and wasted no time jumping in to help, even though his efforts cost him a trip to the hospital, NBC5’s Natalie Martinez reported. While his injuries were minor, he insisted that he wanted to do more for others.
AbdelQader said he was treated and released for injuries he suffered when he was hit by some falling relief equipment. AbdelQader said while he feels fortunate to have not been in the path of destruction, he said he felt horribly for the family of the 6-year-old boy who was killed.
AbdelQader said he jumped out of his truck when he realized, but didn’t believe, what made the noise. As he approached the cockpit of the airplane, he saw the disoriented crew.
“The captain was in shock, he couldn’t believe what happened,” AbdelQader said. “We were calming him down, we’re like, ‘everything is OK, don’t worry about it.’”
Then AbdelQader heard the pleas from a family in a car that had been almost completely covered by the collapsed nose of the plane.
“I could hear them, ‘Help me, help me!’,” AbdelQader said. “That’s when I went up to the car, and the guy came out, he was all bleeding, and he got his kid out.”
AbdelQader said he and an officer who was first on the scene realized that they wouldn’t be able to get any others out of the vehicle without equipment — and then ran for the back of the plane.
“We smelled fuel, then we go to the captain — we wanted to get the passengers out of the plane,” AbdelQader said. “I’m not thinking about, like, ‘Oh my God, the plane is going to explode any minute! Or, ‘It’s going to go up in flames!’ I just did what I had to do. We were calming the people down because we didn’t want them shoving and trying to run or escape for their life. We were telling them everything was OK.”
Incident Shakes Up Neighborhood
Some who live near Midway Airport are accustomed to loud noise and planes overhead, but no one thought they would see something like Thursday’s incident.
While people on Central Avenue cleared snow from the sidewalks, the airplane remained on Central Avenue.
“On TV, it looks like it is still [partly] in the airport,” said Bob Eby. “It is completely in the street. The tip is in the middle of Central Avenue.”
“When I go to church, I always go by that corner to go to church,” said Delores Wolters. “Now, I don’t know if I should take a different route or not.”
The end of the runway is only a few feet from the intersection, and has been for years.
“It’s the last thing you ever think about,” Eby said. “If at any point they decide to go sideways — that could have been us. I could have not been coming to work today.”
“My whole family lives in this area,” said neighborhood resident John Zouch.
Joshua Woods’ death affected the residents deeply.
“I’m sorry that little boy got killed and I hope everyone else that got hurt is OK,” said Paul Brozek.
“I just feel sorry for that little boy,” Wolters said. “So sad that little boy had to suffer for all of this.”
Business owners in the area said the runway accident has had a negative impact on them, mostly because people haven’t been able to or known how to get to them.
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