Delta pilot sues after travelator at Denver airport ‘swallowed’ his foot, caused fall

A pilot who was visiting a city in the US is hoping to cash in after a horror fall saw his foot ‘swallowed’ by an airport travelator.

The moment the pilot claims his foot was swallowed up at the airport.

A US pilot has filed a lawsuit after his foot got caught and “swallowed” in a travelator at Denver International Airport, causing him to fall over and suffer injuries.

Kenneth Gow, a pilot with the airline Delta who lives in Utah, sued TK Elevator Corporation in December and claimed that a missing piece on the end of the walkway caused the stumble, according to the lawsuit, reported the New York Post.

As a result of the fall, which occurred in November 2022, he suffered injuries to his foot and shoulder that required physical therapy and caused him to miss work, Denverr TV station NBC9 reported.

Video of the incident shows Mr Gow walking down the moving exit with his bags. As he reaches the end, his foot becomes jammed in a missing piece of the comb plate and he falls to the ground, video shows.

A good Samaritan behind him helps him free his foot from the machine as travellers watch on. He gets back on his feet and then can be seen explaining what happened to airport staff, according to the clip.

“It’s really fortunate that Mr. Gow wasn’t hurt worse,” Mr Gow’s lawyer, Brian Aleinikoff, told NBC9

Kenneth Gow suffered injuries to his foot and shoulder, causing him to miss work, KUSA reported.

The lawsuit, obtained by website Law & Crime, states that the pilot was approaching the walkway on November 4, 2022 he “suddenly felt a surge of pain in his foot and collapsed”.

When he looked back, Mr Gow “saw that his foot and shoe had been swallowed by the walkway as it was missing a plate,” the lawsuit alleges.

“Ken’s foot, sock, and shoe were severely damaged.”

“It was fortunate that Mr Gow was wearing a pretty hefty shoe. It’s fortunate that he didn’t lose his toes,” Mr Aleinikoff said.

Photos show Mr Gow’s shoe and sock looking completely chewed up after the incident, with a hole through the heel.

The broken travelator “posed an unreasonable risk of injury to passengers on it,” creating a dangerous condition, Mr Gow alleges.

A photo of Mr Gow’s shoe and sock is seen in ruins after the incident.

A hole through the heel of Mr Gow’s sock can be spotted.

He went to a clinic in his home state of Utah three days after the fall for injuries to his left ankle, left foot and left shoulder.

He has undergone physical therapy but remains in serious pain, according to the lawsuit.

Doctors told Mr Gow to stay in a foot brace and he was diagnosed with a strain of the left Achilles tendon and contusion of the left foot, according to court documents.

Mr Gow is seeking an amount to be determined at trial for his medical expenses as well as damages for physical suffering, emotional distress and mental anguish.

Denver International Airport told NBC9 in a statement that: “The safety of our passengers and employees is always a top priority and we work diligently every day in partnership with our contractors to address issues”,

This article originally appeared on New York Post and has been republished with permission