Worker 'Ingested' By Airplane Engine On Runway In Texas

An Airbus A319 plane, operated by Delta Airlines Inc., departs Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

A worker died at San Antonio International Airport Friday night after being sucked into the engine of a Delta flight taxiing to its gate.

Officials said the employee was “ingested” by the Airbus A319 jet engine which apparently turned on while on the ground. Unifi Aviation, which Delta contracts for its ground crew service at San Antonio told BBC that the incident did not involve a breach of the company’s safety procedures. However it’s not clear what happened to lead to the death:

“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” the company said.

A Delta spokesperson said the airline was “heartbroken” to grieve the loss of an “aviation family member’s life”.

“Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”

The airline also told local broadcaster KENS 5 that it was working with authorities “as they begin their investigation”.

That National Transportation Safety Board is gathering information on the incident for its investigation. Unifi Aviation and Delta are also investigating the incident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also be involved. The worker has not been identified.

It’s a dangerous job working around such complex environments such as airports. In April, an American Airlines worker died in a service vehicle crash. Earlier this year, a worker was killed by being sucked into an airplane engine in Alabama on New Year’s Eve. The employee in that scenario was warned several times that the plane’s engines would be on, however. Still, OSHA hit the small airline Piedmont with a fine of $15,625 in the workers death.