US airport worker dies after being sucked into jet engine in Alabama

A ground staff at a regional airport in Alabama died in a freak accident over the weekend — when he was “ingested into the engine” of an American Airlines jetliner parked at the gate, officials said Sunday.

The staff was sucked into the Embraer 170’s engine around 3 pm Saturday at Montgomery Regional Airport, where it had its parking brake set, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The flight from Dallas was run by Envoy Air, a fully owned company of American Airlines Group.

According to the airport authorities, the victim worked for Piedmont Airlines, another American regional subsidiary, but didn’t provide more details.

“We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of a team member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines,” the airport’s executive director, Wade Davis, said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” he added.

In an official statement, American Airlines said it was devastated by the incident.

“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 carrying out the investigation.

When a jet engine is operating, the air getting sucked into the intake can cause a low air pressure area that can pull nearby people into the rotating blades.

According to High Sky Flying, when parked, cones are placed near the engines to mark the boundaries of the hazard areas, the exact sizes of which are provided in the plane’s operating manual.

For instance, the danger area for an Airbus A320 is 14 feet in front of and on the sides of the engine inlet, as per the site.

It is rare for ground workers to be sucked into engines as they are trained about the threats and how to avoid them.

The deseased has not been identified and details of the accident have not been put out.

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