This piece has been updated to reflect that officials have ruled the death of the employee as a suicide.
A Delta Airlines ground crew employee has died after reportedly being ingested into a plane’s engine at a Texas airport Friday night, according to KENS5 News.
“An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) tonight that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member. We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation. We will share more information as details become available,” officials with the San Antonio International Airport stated, according to KENS5 News (RELATED: ‘Ingested’: Ground Crew Employee Dies In Montgomery Airport Accident).
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the incident happened on Friday when Delta Flight 1111 arrived at the San Antonio International Airport and was taxiing to the gate on one engine. That’s when a worker was ingested into the engine.https://t.co/IVS5B7CPAV
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) June 25, 2023
The incident reportedly occurred around 10:25 p.m. when Delta flight 1111, arriving from Los Angeles, was taxiing to the gate with “one engine on,” the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed in a statement, cited by the outlet.
Unifi Aviation, the largest ground handling and aviation services company in North America, confirmed the incident, saying they were “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport,” according to a statement cited by KENS5 News.
The company added that a preliminary investigation conducted of the tragic incident indicates it was unrelated to operational processes, safety procedures and policies of the company and that it would not share further information regarding the incident “out of respect for the deceased,” the statement continued. Authorities with the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the cause of the death as suicide Monday, NBC News reported.
“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,” Unifi Aviation stated, according to KENS5 News.
Delta airlines also confirmed the incident, telling the outlet it was fully supporting ongoing investigations.