Airline employee killed in plane engine incident at Alabama airport, officials say

A ground crew worker at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama died when they were “ingested into” the engine of an airplane parked at the gate, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

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The worker was on the ramp at the airport where American Airlines Flight 3408 was parked, when the incident occurred at around 2:20 p.m. on Dec. 31, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The aircraft, an Embraer 170, was at the gate “with the parking brake set” when the incident occurred, the NTSB said. The flight was Envoy flight 3408 doing business as American Airlines, according to the agency.

The worker was an American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines ground crew employee, according to a news release from the Montgomery Regional Airport. Piedmont Airlines and Envoy Air are a subsidiaries of American Airlines.

An American Airlines spokesperson said in a statement that the company was “devastated by the accident.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members,” the statement says. “We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time.”

The employee has not been publicly identified. The NTSB said the person would be identified by local authorities. The agency expects to release a preliminary report within 2-3 weeks.

Piedmont Airlines said in a tweet that its “CARE Team” is helping support friends, family members and co-workers.

The flight had arrived from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to the NTSB. It was scheduled to depart Montgomery Regional Airport at 5 p.m. central standard time and land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport at 7:13 p.m., was canceled, according to FlightAware, which tracks global flight cancellations and delays

Flights in and out of the airport were grounded after the incident, according to the news release from Montgomery Regional Airport. Normal operations resumed as of 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, the airport said in a tweet.

Wade A. Davis, executive director of the Montgomery Regional Airport, said in a statement that personnel at the airport were “saddened” by the loss.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration said it would be investigating along with the NTSB.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a preliminary report would be posted on its website on Jan. 3.

The incident happened the week after major winter storms led to the cancellation of thousands of flights across the U.S. Southwest Airlines accounted for 91% of the cancellations, according to The Associated Press. The airline had canceled nearly 10,000 flights between Christmas Day and Dec. 28, the outlet reported.

The Department of Transportation is now investigating the airline.

This story was originally published January 2, 2023 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Airline employee killed in plane engine incident at Alabama airport, officials say."