Texas: In a shocking accident, an airport worker lost his life after being "ingested" into a passenger plane engine in the US State of Texas. The accident occurred at about 10.25 pm (local time) on Friday at San Antonio International Airport in Texas when a Delta Air Lines flight was taxiing to an arrival gate. At the moment, one engine was running and the employee, who has not been named, was "ingested" into the engine, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.
NTSB further informed that they are "in contact" with the Atlanta-based airline which is "in the information gathering process".
Incident occurred on June 23
"Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time," Delta airline said. According to latest updates, the deceased airport worker was employed by Unifi Aviation. Unifi Aviation is a company that several airlines contract to assist with ground handling operations.
The company said "deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident in the late hours of Friday, June 23, 2023."
"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," it said.
Investigation underway
"From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies. Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information," it added.
An investigation is underway and NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming days.
