According to Delta Air Lines, the company is “heartbroken” by the death of a ground staff member at San Antonio International Airport on Friday night after being sucked into an aircraft’s engine as it was taxiing to the gate.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that it has started an investigation into the terrible tragedy that grounded the airplane that killed the worker.
On Friday night at roughly 10:19 pm, Delta flight DL1111, which had just arrived from Los Angeles, was involved in an accident. When the worker was ‘ingested’ and died, the 19-year-old Airbus A319 single-aisle aircraft was taxiing to the gate on a single engine.
Delta has confirmed that the employee was working for a third-party ground handling company than the one it uses to manage its aircraft in San Antonio.
The NTSB noted in a statement that Delta Flight 1111 was taxiing to the gate with one engine running when a worker was absorbed into that engine at 10:25 p.m.
A spokesperson for Delta Air added: “We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio.”
The statement continued: “Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The victim’s employer stated that they presently do not believe the accident was caused by their “operational processes, safety procedures, and policies.” Unifi Aviation’s spokesman, however, stated that the company was unwilling to provide any additional information while the inquiry was underway.
