Airport employee dies after being "ingested" into Delta plane engine
A worker died at an airport in Texas after being “ingested” into a Delta Airlines plane engine last week.
Delta Flight 1111 had landed at San Antonio International Airport from Los Angeles. It was taxiing to a gate using one engine “when a worker was ingested into that engine at about 10:25pm,” the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told CNN in a statement.
The NTSB says it’s continuing to gather information about what happened.
View this post on Instagram
San Antonio International Airport told Daily Hive in an email statement that it’s working with authorities on the investigation.
“An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) Friday night that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member,” said the spokesperson. “We are deeply saddened by this incident…we will share more information as details become available.”
A Delta spokesperson told Daily Hive that it’s fully supporting the ongoing investigation.
“We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio,” stated the spokesperson. “Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.“
The airline added that the worker was employed by Unifi, a company that Delta contracts with to support ground-handling operations.
In a statement to CNN, Unifi says that from its initial investigation, “the incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies.”
The company declined to share any additional information about the deceased worker.