In a shocking incident, an airport worker at San Antonio International Airport in Texas got killed after getting pulled into a running engine of Delta Airlines.
Here’s what happened
According to reports, on 23rd June, a Delta Airlines plane landed in Texas from Los Angeles at about 10:25 P.M. and was taxiing to the arrival gate when suddenly, one airport worker got pulled into the running engine.
The police and US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have started the investigation. They are now gathering information and probing whether the person intentionally stepped before the live engine.
The deceased’s identity has been kept anonymous at the time of writing. However, a preliminary report with more details could be released by NTSB in the coming days.
Statement of the employer
The deceased person was an employee of Unifi Aviation, which provides ground-handling operations for Delta Airlines. Unifi Aviation, in a statement, described the incident as tragic and added that the loss of an employee extremely saddened it.
However, the company also said that its initial investigation showed that the worker’s death was unrelated to Unifi’s safety procedures, operational processes or policies.
Not the first time
This tragic incident refreshes the memory of a similar incident at Montgomery Airport in Alabama on 31st December 2022, where a ground worker Courtney Edwards got killed after being pulled into a live jet engine of a parked Embraer E175.
Courtney Edwards, 34, a mother of three, was an employee of Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. The incident happened when American Airlines flight 3408, operated by regional carrier Envoy Air, landed from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and arrived at the arrival gate when the pilots suddenly felt the whole plane shake violently.
A thorough investigation was done, and recently six months after the incident, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) found Piedmont Airlines guilty of a serious breach of safety along with a lack of effective training, lack of clear instructions from supervisors as to when to approach an aircraft and lack of detailed communication on the ramp.
All these factors played a role in the death of Courtney Edwards. They concluded that the incident was preventable. Due to this, Piedmont was slapped with a fine in excess of $15,000.
Two similar incidents in six months raise many questions about the procedure and safety of ground workers at the Airport. Thus, it will be necessary to note the conclusion of the investigation at San Antonio International Airport. Whether it was done intentionally, by mistake of someone or was an accident remains to be seen.
