Ground worker died after being ‘ingested into engine’ of plane in Alabama, authorities say

• An airline employee was “ingested” into a plane’s engine on Saturday, the NTSB said, according to CBS.

• American Airlines has confirmed that one of its employees died in an accident at Montgomery Regional Airport.

• The worker died while the plane was parked and one of its engines was running, Reuters reported.

An airline ground worker died Saturday after being “ingested into the engine” of a plane in Alabama, the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, said, CBS reported.

The NTSB told CBS on Sunday that the worker was “ingested” into the plane’s engine while the plane was parked at the gate. The agency said it has opened an investigation into the crash, according to CBS.

Montgomery Regional Airport said Saturday that a fatal workplace accident occurred around 3 p.m., and that the worker was employed by Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of the American Airlines group.

“We are saddened to learn of the tragic loss of a member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines team,” said Wade A. Davis, airport executive director. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.”

American Airlines confirmed the Piedmont employee’s death in a statement to Insider, saying it was “devastated by the crash.”

“We are working to ensure that everyone involved has the support they need during this difficult time,” the statement said.

The person died while one of the plane’s engines was running, Reuters reported, citing two people briefed on the findings of the initial investigation.

According to Reuters, the incident involved American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175 jet, after arriving from Dallas.

The NTSB and Piedmont Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.

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