A Texas airport worker was killed after being “ingested” into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet, airport officials confirmed.
Emergency crews responded at San Antonio International Airport on Friday night after a ground crew member was sucked into the aircraft’s engine, which had just arrived from Los Angeles. The plane was reportedly taxying to its gate when the incident occurred, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) tonight that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member,” the airport said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation. We will share more information as details become available.”
The victim, who hasn’t been identified, was employed by Unifi Aviation, a ground handling and aviation services company based out of Atlanta and contracted by Delta. The company said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee” in the “tragic” accident.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased, and we remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground and ensuring they are being taken care of during this time,” Unifi added.
NTSB officials confirmed on Saturday that the worker was “ingested” into the jet engine and said they were in contact with Delta investigating the accident. Unifi Aviation says the death was no fault of their policies or operations.
“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” the company said. “Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information. While police and other officials continue to investigate this incident, we defer to them on providing further details.”
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According to data from FlightAware, the airplane involved was Delta flight 1111, an Airbus A319 aircraft with 132 passenger seats.
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.
Incidents like these are extremely rare. 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.