OIA tram running again after man's fatal fall from windshield

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando International Airport officials said the tram in which a man fell to his death from is repaired and back in service.

The victim was identified as 32-year-old Adam Lee.

OIA officials said two maintenance men and another passenger were in the tram with Lee, who was operating the tram in maintenance mode at 5 mph when the accident happened about 5:30 a.m. Friday.

Lee and one of the maintenance workers knew each other, and the airport confirmed that relationship led to the maintenance worker allowing Lee to take control of the tram.

Both workers no longer have a badge to enter the airport.

It is still unknown if the workers’ employer, Bombardier, has terminated the workers involved after the fatal mistake at the helm.

Slideshow: Passenger thrown from OIA tram

Investigators said the workers were performing a maintenance test and during a sudden emergency stop, the victim fell through the train's Plexiglas windshield, 15 feet to the ground below the tracks.

Passengers told WFTV they were shocked.

"That's pretty dangerous. You never heard of that happening," said passenger George Parris.

“It’s terrible and I think they should look into how that happened,” said OIA passenger Janie McGlone.

Airport officials said the train was undergoing its daily safety check and

no passengers should have been aboard the train.

"They're very heavily regulated and watched after. That was part of the safety protocol, was to make sure that we're out there running the cars and everything would operate safely," said OIA chief operating officer Stan Thornton.

Officials said the train was in a manual position and suddenly stopped, sending the victim through the Plexiglas.

"They are programmed that if they lose communications or they are uncomfortable with the speed, they come to an emergency stop. Even in the manual mode. That is a safety feature," said Thornton.

The train's top speed is approximate 27 mph, according to officials.

Several agencies are investigating, focusing on why the Plexiglas gave way.

Airport officials said the Orlando Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation, but several other agencies are now involved, including the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Service was not interrupted.

Airport officials said the trams in terminal gates 1-59 will be replaced by 2018 as part of an already-planned improvement project.

They said there are no safety concerns with the trams

According to airport officials, it is the first accident involving one of the trains, which have been in service at the airport for 35 years.

On Lee’s business website, Channel 9 found the aspiring filmmaker has been running a video production company with a colleague for more than a decade.

“I feel for the family and for the parents. It’s just really sad and scary, and makes you think twice,” said OIA passenger Maria Lewis.

David Waters, a friend and colleague of Lee, worked with him in April and had tried to contact him Friday morning.

Waters said their last project helped people around the world.

“It was Adam that allowed their families back home in far places like India and Bangladesh to see them. They wouldn’t have been able to come here and witness what their family members and friends were doing,” Waters said.

According to his website, after making six short films, Lee was working on his first feature film.

WFTV