An airport employee at San Antonio International Airport died after being sucked into the engine of an aeroplane last week.
The Delta Airlines worker was on the tarmac when she was sucked into the engine of a Delta aircraft, at approximately 10.25pm on Friday, June 23.
Emergency services swiftly responded to the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the ground crew member died after being "ingested" into the engine.
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Delta Flight 1111, which had just arrived from Los Angeles, was taxiing to a gate when the tragic accident occurred. The worker's identity has not yet been disclosed.
The NTSB stated that the plane had one engine on at the time when the worker was sucked into it.
Authorities are currently investigating the death of the airline ground crew member. The NTSB has been in contact with Delta Airlines to gather information regarding the incident.
Delta Airlines expressed their condolences in a statement released over the weekend.
The statement read: "We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio. Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time."
The worker was employed by Unifi Aviation, a company contracted by Delta Airlines for ground-handling operations. Unifi Aviation released a statement of their own expressing deep sadness over the tragic incident and offering support to their employees. They emphasised that the incident was unrelated to their operational processes and safety procedures.
This incident is the latest in a series of ground accidents at US airports. In a similar incident on New Year's Eve, a ground crew worker for a subsidiary of American Airlines was fatally sucked into the engine of one of their planes.
The airline was fined $15,000, and the incident prompted investigations into safety breaches.
