American Airlines ground crew worker killed after being 'ingested' into flight engine at Alabama airport
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: An accident at the airport in Alabama on the afternoon of December 31 claimed the life of a ground crew worker of American Airlines. The ground support personnel was "ingested into the engine" of an aircraft, according to The National Transportation Safety Board.
The employee was killed on the ramp at the airport where American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175 twin-jet, was parked, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to information on FlightAware, the flight was due to leave Montgomery's Gate 4 for Dallas-Fort Worth on the afternoon of December 30. The NTSB announced on January 1 that an inquiry into the incident has begun.
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"We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of a team member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines," airport Executive Director Wade Davis said in the statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time." Normal operations were resumed at about 8.30 pm, according to a tweet from the airport. An FAA inquiry into the event is still ongoing, as per Fox News.
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
Passengers who had their flights changed as a result of the tragedy were requested to check with their airline company for the latest updates. Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM), a civil-military airport hosts non-stop flights from to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Washington, DC. The airport is the daily hub for both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
On August 30, a luggage handler was killed when her hair became tangled in a belt loader, according to officials at a New Orleans airport. On the day, Jermani Thompson, 26, was working at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. She worked for GAT Ground Support, an airline. Around 10 pm, Thompson was unloading luggage from a Frontier Airlines plane when her hair got tangled in a belt loader. She was transported to a nearby hospital and later declared dead.
"The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport extends its sincere condolences to her family and friends, and also to our partners at GAT and Frontier Airlines," the airport's Director of Aviation Kevin Dolliole told Fox News Digital at the time. "Jermani was a part of our Airport family, and we will continue to support one another in any way we can during this trying time," Dolliole added. "We extend our deepest condolences following the tragic death of a member of our ground handling business partner," a Frontier Airlines spokesperson said in the wake of the tragic accident. "Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time."
