A freak accident involving a jet engine left a ground worker dead at a regional airport in Alabama this weekend. The man was “ingested into the engine” of an American Airlines jetliner parked at the gate, officials confirmed Sunday.
At 3pm on Saturday, the worker was sucked into the Embraer 170’s engine at Montgomery Regional Airport, with its parking brake set, the National Transportation Safety Board announced. Flight 3408 was scheduled to leave Montgomery for DFW and was operated by Envoy Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group. The airport ceased operations after the accident but resumed service at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The airport confirmed the victim worked for Piedmont Airlines.
In a statement released by American Airlines they expressed their devastation saying, “We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time,” the company said, declining further comment during the ongoing investigation.” The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are examining the incident. “We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of a team member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” the airport’s executive director, Wade Davis added.
High Sky Flying reported, “Yes, you can easily get sucked into an operating engine and it can be fatal. When an engine operates, the amount of air getting sucked though its intake can cause a low air pressure area in the surrounding areas and pull you towards it. If you’re standing close enough to an operating engine, you can get sucked in by the sheer force of the airflow.”
Further details about the accident are not yet available and NTSB said a preliminary accident report can be expected within the next two or three weeks. The investigations by the FAA and NTSB are ongoing.
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