BA passenger on Heathrow flight taken to hospital after bag falls from overhead lockers

Witnesses reportedly heard a 'terrible sound' as an item of hand luggage struck the man’s head

British Airways planes parked at Heathrow (Getty)

A British Airways passenger waiting for take-off at Heathrow Airport was rushed to hospital after a bag fell on him from the plane’s overhead lockers.

As cabin crew prepared the jet for its departure to Bangkok, witnesses reportedly heard a “terrible sound” as the item of hand luggage struck the man’s head.

According to The Sun, the passenger “collapsed” after he was hit. London Ambulance Service said it treated a man for a head injury at the scene before taking him to Hillingdon Hospital as a priority.

A source told The Independent the incident took place while the plane was still in its stand at Heathrow, rather than while taxiing down the runway or – as is often warned about – after bags have moved around in lockers during the flight.

BA allows more hand luggage on board its flights than most of its commercial competitors, permitting each passenger one cabin bag up to 23kg, plus an additional handbag or laptop bag, regardless of ticket class.

The incident involving the Heathrow-Bangkok flight took place on Monday evening, and the man was discharged from Hillingdon on Tuesday. Undeterred, the man is believed to have since made his flight to Thailand.

In a statement, the airline said: “We take the health and safety of our customers very seriously and our cabin crew receive extensive training to deal with incidents on board.

“Our crew cared for a customer who was injured after boarding the aircraft. He was taken to a local hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery.”