Man Dies After Being Sucked Into Jet Engine
Investigators are looking into how a man who was not a passenger or employee gained access to the taxiway at Milan Bergamo Airport.
A man in Italy died Tuesday after being sucked into a jet engine at Milan Bergamo Airport.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was not an employee or a passenger, according to Sacbo, the company that operates the airport.
Investigators are still working to piece together how the man gained access to the taxiway, where he “approached a stationary commercial aircraft with engines running” before he was sucked into the engine and killed, a statement from Sacbo said.
The aircraft was en route to Spain on Tuesday morning when the incident occurred. Police told Sky News the man ran onto the runway before voluntarily entering the engine of the aircraft.
“Today’s tragic event has deeply shaken the entire airport community,” Giovanni Sanga, Sacbo’s president, said in a statement Tuesday. “From the outset, in addition to ensuring the immediate management of the emergency and assistance to passengers and crew, we have also focused our attention on the colleagues who witnessed the episode and were deeply affected by it.”
The airport canceled 19 flights and delayed several others following the incident, according to FlightAware.
In 2023, a ground crew worker at a regional Alabama airport was killed after he was sucked into the engine of a parked plane. And last year, an employee at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam was killed after he climbed into a jet engine in what authorities said was a suicide.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
