The San Antonio International Airport worker who was “ingested” by the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet last week died by suicide, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner.
The ground worker, who has been identified as 27-year-old David Renner, was killed late Friday night by an Airbus A319 aircraft arriving from Los Angeles. According to a Monday report from the medical examiner, an autopsy on Renner found he was killed from blunt and sharp-force injuries, with the manner of death listed as suicide.
“This isn’t the first time David has tried something like this from my knowledge,” David’s brother, Joshua, told the Daily Mail. “There were other times. This time I thought it was different.”
On Friday, emergency crews responded after Renner was “ingested” into the jet’s engine as the plane was taxiing to its gate, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The plane had one engine on when the incident occurred, and a source told The Guardian that Renner “intentionally stepped in front of the live engine.”
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Joshua Renner said that while his brother had struggled with mental health in the past, he had shown no signs recently of a desire to inflict harm on himself.
“The reason I say that is because he was almost five months clean and living every day to the fullest,” Joshua said. “David had been clean for over eight months, was in therapy, [was] actively taking his prescribed medication and had finally became the David we all knew he could be,” Joshua added.
Renner was employed by Unifi Aviation, a ground handling and aviation services company based out of Atlanta and contracted by Delta. Unifi said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee” in the “tragic” incident.
“We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio. Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” Delta said in a statement.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP
As a result of the death, counselors are available to airport employees, according to NBC News. Shortly after the incident on Friday, Unifi said the death was no fault of their policies or operations. Initially, the NTSB was working with Delta to investigate the incident, but that investigation has been canceled in light of the medical examiner’s determination.
“The NTSB will not be opening an investigation into this event. There were no operational safety issues with either the airplane or the airport,” an NTSB statement said.
On New Year’s Eve, Courtney Edwards, a mother of three, was sucked into an American Airlines jet engine at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama. Edwards worked for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Piedmont $15,625 in June after the agency found the airline company was at fault, but the company is contesting that civil penalty.
Powerful fans and compressors “suck” air through jet engines, and during takeoff, 1.2 tons of air per second can be taken in, according to Stanford University.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.