Believed To Be Member Of Catering Staff

There's no doubt flying can sometimes be a risky business... and alas, the risks aren't limited to taking flight. A woman assisting in restocking a Qantas airliner at Brisbane International Airport was killed when she reportedly fell to the tarmac this weekend.

The Brisbane Times reports the unidentified woman, 63, fell about 20 feet from a loading platform Sunday morning. Officials believe she was a member of the ground crews restocking the Boeing 747 for a scheduled flight to Los Angeles, who fell when she tried to load a catering cart onboard.

A spokesman for Queensland Ambulance said the victim died on impact.

The incident delayed Qantas flights to the United States and Auckland, New Zealand, according to a Brisbane Airport spokeswoman. She added members of the ground cleaning and catering crews were "totally distraught" at the news of the accident.

Foul play is not suspected, but investigators will examine a variety of factors before releasing their final report on the woman's death, authorities said.

FMI: www.bne.com.au/, www.qantas.com