Airport worker sucked into Delta jet engine dies in San Antonio
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A 27-year-old ramp worker at San Antonio International Airport was killed Friday night when he was pulled into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet that had just landed. The worker was in the gate area at the airport around 10:30 p.m. when a Delta Airbus A319 arrived from Los Angeles, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane “was taxiing to the gate on one engine when a worker was ingested into that engine.”
The Bexar County Medical Examiner identified the man as David Renner and ruled the death a suicide. The San Antonio Police Department told The Washington Post on Monday it was still investigating and had not determined the manner of death. The FAA and NTSB are both investigating the fatality.
In a statement, Delta offered condolences to the worker’s loved ones. Renner was an employee of Unifi Aviation, a contractor that supports ground handling operations.
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“We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio,” the airline’s statement said. “Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Unifi Aviation says on its website that it employs more than 20,000 aviation workers across 200 locations in services including ramp handling, catering provisioning, wheelchair assistance, lost baggage, security and employee shuttles.
“Unifi Aviation is deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident” late Friday, the Atlanta-based company said in a statement. “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.”
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Unifi said that based on its initial investigation, the death “was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies.”
Friday’s incident follows the Dec. 31 death of a regional airline employee who was sucked into a jet engine in Alabama.
Earlier this month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Piedmont Airlines, an American Airlines Group subsidiary, for one “serious violation for exposing ground crew workers to ingestion hazards while performing aircraft marshalling, wing-walking and baggage-handling tasks.” The department said the airline has contested the findings but faces $15,625 in penalties.
In that case, the worker was placing cones around a regional jet when suction near one of the engines pulled her in, an OSHA news release said.
“Proper training and enforcement of safety procedures could have prevented this tragedy,” Jose A. Gonzalez, OSHA area director for Mobile, Ala., said in the release. “This incident is a tragic reminder that safety measures must be in place even for a routine assignment.”
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Source: The Washington Post
