A woman suffered a deep eyelid injury after a gift box fell from an overhead compartment and struck her while she was resting on a flight back to Singapore.
The incident happened on Nov 5, when 43-year-old accountant Dong Mingming was on board Scoot flight TR187 from Qingdao to Singapore. She was seated at 13B, the middle seat in a row of three.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Ms Dong said that about 30 minutes after take-off, she had removed her glasses and closed her eyes to rest. A male passenger then opened the overhead compartment above her seat, causing a heavy item to slide out and strike her right eyelid at an angle.
“I felt a sharp pain immediately. I couldn’t open my eye at all, and my vision became blurred.”
She later found out that the object was a gift box. Cabin crew saw that her eyelid was bleeding and provided ice packs and alcohol wipes, but there were no emergency medications on board.
“Because it was an eye injury, I didn’t dare to move unnecessarily.”
Ms Dong endured the pain until the flight landed at Changi Airport at about 3.15pm. By then, her eyelid had swollen so badly that she could not open it, and she experienced continuous throbbing pain, dizziness, and light-headedness.
After disembarking, she went straight to a hospital’s emergency department. Doctors found a tear of nearly 4cm on her eyelid and issued her three days of medical leave.
She said that during a follow-up visit a week later, she was given an additional two days of medical leave due to migraines and insomnia caused by the injury.
Scoot says assistance was provided on board
In response to queries from Shin Min Daily News, Scoot said it was aware that a passenger had been injured during the flight.
The airline said cabin crew rendered assistance on the spot and contacted ground medical personnel for support.
A spokesperson added that the safety and well-being of passengers and crew remain the airline’s top priority, and Scoot will continue to provide necessary assistance to affected passengers when required.
Male passenger says responsibility is not his
The male passenger involved reportedly apologised at the scene but maintained that responsibility did not lie with him.
Ms Dong said she later asked a flight attendant how the matter should be handled. The attendant suggested that both parties communicate directly, but declined to share the other passenger’s personal details, citing confidentiality.
“The passenger who was taking his luggage did apologise to me. He said the gift box was not his, and that he accidentally pulled it down while retrieving his own luggage.”
She added that the man holds a Hong Kong passport, lives in Australia, and was only transiting through Singapore.
Based on chat records from their subsequent communication, the man insisted that cabin crew had failed to properly check the overhead compartment and denied that he should be held responsible for the accident.
Compensation remains unresolved
More than two months after the incident, Ms Dong said the scar on her eyelid is still faintly visible. A doctor had told her the wound would be difficult to fully heal and may leave a permanent scar.
“I later asked the passenger to reimburse my medical expenses and a few days’ loss of income, and provided him with the details. He said he needed to consult others before replying, but there has been no response since.”
She also said Scoot informed her via email that since the injury was caused by another passenger, the airline would not be able to provide compensation.
“I consulted a lawyer, who felt that responsibility lies with the passenger. But because the incident happened on an aircraft, the other party is a foreigner, and it was an accident, it would be very difficult to pursue legal action. I’m really troubled and don’t know how to deal with this.”
