A Paralympian says she was forced to drag herself off an aeroplane after a crew member manhandled her out of her seat.
Elite athlete Claire Harvey said she was "completely humiliated" after she was left with no option but to haul herself up the aisle of a Qatar Airways plane with an injured shoulder when her flight landed in London on October 30.
Ms Harvey - who was on her way home after pulling out of the International Paralympic Committee World Championships due to a shoulder injury - was forced to use the cabin chairs as monkey bars because airline staff failed to provide a wheelchair, she told the BBC's Radio 4.
Ms Harvey, who lost the use of her legs after a spinal cord injury several years ago, had been competing in the discus and javelin at the games in Doha.
Ms Harvey recounted the way an airline staff member referred to her as "the wheelchair" even before she boarded the flight.
The cabin crew then seated Ms Harvey next to the aisle instead of a window seat, which meant passengers had to clamber over the top of her to access the bathroom and the exit.
"I tried to manoeuvre myself out of the way and they had to literally climb over me," she told Radio 4.
Once the plane had landed and the other passengers had exited Ms Harvey was left alone for 15 minutes before a male steward told her to get off the flight.
Ms Harvey explained she would need an aisle wheelchair, but the steward told her they did not have one available.
"[He] started to manhandle me and said 'you have to get to the front of the plane'. Bear in mind I was 49 rows back," the Paralympian said.
"[i said] 'I don't know who you expect me to do that?" Ms Harvey told Radio 4.
"So I ended up having to utilise the seats either side of the aisle to sort of, literally like monkey bars, take my weight on my hands and drag myself to the front of the plane with him behind me pushing me to go faster," she said.
"Which of course is both humiliating, very difficult but most importantly I'd come home early to rest my shoulder so that it could heal as quickly as possible in order that I can be a ready as I can be for Rio [Paralympics] selection," she said.
Once the Paralympian had dragged herself off the flight she found her wheelchair's brakes had been snapped off and the frame bent.
Qatar Airline told Radio 4 that it was investigating the incident.
A spokesperson for the airline said staff were trained to offer proper assistance, but did not provide an explanation as to why the cabin crew on Ms Harvey's flight did not follow procedure.
Qatar Airways declined to offer further comment but said they would speak to Ms Harvey directly.
Ms Harvey said she was yet to hear from the airline 11 days after the incident.
