Abandoned passenger wakes alone, in darkness on Air Canada plane

The passenger has been facing 'reoccurring night terrors' since the incident. Photo / Getty Images

Air Canada is looking into how a passenger was forgotten and left on a plane overnight in Toronto's Pearson Airport.

Tiffani Adams says she fell asleep on the flight from Quebec to Toronto on 9 June. Waking up alone in the cold, dark cabin of the parked plane she says she has been facing "reoccurring night terrors" ever since.

Air Canada confirmed that the passenger had been left on the plane and was investigating how it could have happened.

Adams woke "around midnight (few hours after flight landed) freezing cold still trapped in my seat in complete darkness."

"I think I'm having a bad dream because like seriously how is this happening?"

Adams' experience was shared by a friend in a public post to the Air Canada Facebook page.

The friend, Ms Noel-Dale who is based in Toronto became concerned after she had not heard from Adams.

Adams having woken up on the dark plane says she was unable to contact help after discovering her phone was out of battery and there was no power outlet to recharge it on the parked plane.

"I'm trying to focus on my breathing and control my panic attack while I attempt to charge my phone by plugging into every USB port I could find," she said.

Adams detailed how, in the dark cabin she was able to open a plane door but was then faced by the prospect of what seemed like "a 40-50ft drop to the pavement below."

With no way off - Adams finally caught the attention of ground staff, who were almost as surprised to find a passenger on the parked aircraft as she was to be abandoned on it.

A baffled luggage handler from Toronto Pearson airport was able to fetch a ladder and rescue the passenger.

According to Adams, the ground staff were "asking how the heck they left me on the plane. . .I'm wondering the same"

Ms Adams confirmed that the airline had been in touch as part of the investigation and to offer their apologies.

She was offered a hotel and airport transfer by the embarrassed airline, which she refused saying she had to get to work in a few hours.

The airline had confirmed Adams' ordeal had happened, however an investigation was ongoing as to how it came about.

"We are still reviewing this matter so we have no additional details to share, but we have followed up with the customer and remain in contact with her," read Air Canada's statement.

Toronto Pearson airport responded to an inquiry by CBS, saying "We are aware of this passenger's story and we can certainly empathise with the concern she must have felt."