An airline groundcrew member employed by Unifi Aviation who was sucked into a Delta Airlines jet engine was ruled to have died by suicide.
The 27-year-old man from San Antonio died of blunt- and sharp-force injuries, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, NBC 5 reported.
The Dallas Express learned in an email exchange with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that “there were no operational safety issues with either the airplane or the airport” and that the agency was not going to open an investigation into the incident. According to NBC 5, the Federal Aviation Administration suggested it would look into the matter.
The incident occurred on June 23 when Delta Flight 1111 arrived at San Antonio International Airport from Los Angeles. The plane was taxiing to the gate when a worker was ingested into that engine at about 10:25 p.m., as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Delta Airlines contracts with Unifi Aviation, which is based in Atlanta and employs more than 20,000 aviation workers, to provide ground services at the San Antonio airport, per NBC 5.
“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures, and policies,” a Unifi Aviation spokesperson told NBC 5.
The spokesperson added that the company was “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident.”
Delta Airlines released the following statement following the incident.
“We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio,” the statement read, per WSAZ 3. “Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The Dallas Express reached out to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office and Unifi Aviation for additional information and comment but did not receive a response by press time.