The deceased was a ramp worker at the San Antonio International Airport in Texas, USA, employed by the ground handling operations expert Unifi Aviation.
The incident happened at 10:25 PM local time on Friday when a Delta Air Lines flight which had arrived from Los Angeles was taxing to a gate. The flight had one engine on as part of its landing procedure.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the worker was ‘ingested’ by the engine at that point. Emergency responders were called to the scene soon after.
After the accident, the NTSB started an investigation into the incident, and the cause of death was unclear. The authorities of the San Antonio Airport were cooperating with the investigating agencies.
However, reports of suicide soon surfaced, as a source working on the investigation told The Guardian that the deceased had ‘intentionally stepped in front of the live engine’ on the plane. A person on social media, claiming to be a pilot at the SAT airport, also claimed that the deceased had left a suicide note before jumping ‘head first into the engine’.
As of Monday, both the identity of the deceased and the official cause of death remains unknown.
After the death of the worker, condolence messages started pouring in from all those involved. The San Antonio airport released a statement saying that they were “deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation.”
Delta Air Lines released a statement saying, “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.”
Unifi Aviation, the company that employed the deceased worker, said that they were “deeply saddened by the loss of [their] employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident in the late hours of Friday”.
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