The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) detailed an incident that claimed the life of a Montgomery Regional Airport employee on New Year’s Eve.
According to a preliminary report, the woman walked in front of one of the engines of an American Eagle jet and was pulled into the engine. The NTSB initially said the woman was “ingested into the plane” with 63 passengers and crew on board. Airport authorities offered a statement shortly after the death, offering condolences to the employee’s family.
The plane landed in Montgomery on December 31 from Dallas. It was operated by Envoy Air, an affiliate of American Airlines.
The report, based on video surveillance and witness accounts, states a co-worker saw the woman walking too close to the engine and warned her to step back just before the incident.
The engines were powering the plane at the time because an auxiliary power unit was inoperable. The pilots decided to keep the engines running for a two-minute cool-down period while they waited for the plane to be connected to a ground unit for power. The NTSB said rotating beacons were illuminated during the cool-down period to warn the engines were still running.
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