This past Saturday, a baggage handler working for an American Airlines regional carrier died after reportedly being sucked through one of the engines of a plane while working in at an airport in Alabama, explained a report from local authorities.
This horrible tragedy took place at roughly 3 p.m. at the Montgomery Regional Airport. The Victim, who has not been identified yet, worked for a subsidiary of American Airlines, Piedmont Airlines. An investigation into the matter has been instigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, as explained by AL.com
“We are devastated by the accident involving a team member of Piedmont Airlines, an American Airlines regional carrier, at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM),” explained a spokesperson for American Airlines. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members. We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time.”
As explained by one outlet, Reuters, two sources briefed on the incident explained that the employee died in “an accident involving one of the airplane’s engines that was running.”
Today around 3 pm an American Airlines ground crew piedmont employee was involved in a fatality, no additional information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased.
— Montgomery Regional Airport (@flymgm) January 1, 2023
Reportedly, the aircraft involved was an Embraer 175, a standard narrow-body plane crafted to ferry up to 124 passengers and is most normally utilized for short- to medium-range flights.
Wade Davis, the executive director of the airport, put out his own statement in the wake of the horrid accident.
“We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of a team member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines,” explained Davis.
The airport was able to resume its standard operations by later Saturday evening, explained the airport officials in a tweet.
The “worker was fatally injured on the ramp at Montgomery Regional Airport where American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175, was parked,” explained the FAA in a statement given to AL.com.
One early report coming from the Federal Aviation Administration is slated to be made public as soon as this coming Monday, as expressed by a spokesperson for the massive agency.
Although it is very rare, these types of accidents have taken place in the past. As explained by one outlet, Aerocorner.com, jet engines make use of a very powerful compressor system to quickly pull in close to 1.2 million tons of air every second through the engine, even if they are just powering up or idling. The suction created by such a force is notably strong enough to snatch up a person and pull them through the engine if he or she steps to close to the front of the intake. Baggage, tools, and birds have all been sucked through the engines.
