TEXAS (United States): An airline worker died after being pulled into the engine of a plane at San Antonio International Airport in Texas, officials told news outlets.
A flight from Los Angeles had just landed at about 10.30 pm on Friday and while it was taxiing, a worker on the ground was “ingested” into an engine, German news agency (dpa) quoted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as telling local broadcaster WOAI in a statement.
The plane belongs to Delta Air Lines, and the NTSB said it is communicating with the airline as they investigate the deadly incident, the KENS channel reported.
The worker was employed by Unifi, a company that Delta contracts with, the company told McClatchy News.
“We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio,” Delta said in an email. “Our hearts and full support are with the family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Unifi Aviation said in a statement obtained by KENS that the “incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies”.
“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,” the company said, according to the outlet.
The airport said that it will release more information when it’s available.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation,” the airport said in an email to McClatchy.
McClatchy News has reached out to the NTSB for more information. – BERNAMA-dpa
