Alabama airline worker sucked into engine with 'bang, ' plane filled with passengers shook violently: NTSB

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A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) review of a New Year’s Eve 
incident, in which a ground crew worker was killed at an airport in 
Montgomery, Alabama, after being sucked into the engine of a plane, says 
the aircraft "shook violently" as it shut off with a "bang." 

The death involving a ramp agent for Piedmont Airlines – a subsidiary of 
American Airlines Group – happened at Montgomery Regional Airport shortly 
after an Embraer 170 plane operated by Envoy Air landed with 63 passengers 
on board, the NTSB said. 

The ramp agent has since been identified as Courtney Edwards, 34, a mother 
of three.

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The preliminary report states the aircraft had an inoperative auxiliary 
power unit and that its captain signaled for it to be connected to ground 
power after arriving from Dallas, opting to "leave both engines running 
for the required two-minute engine cool down period."

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
AAL	AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC.	16.61	+0.35	+2.15%

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As the captain was shutting off the plane’s right engine, he received a 
message that the aircraft’s front cargo door had opened and "the first 
officer opened his cockpit window to inform the ramp agent that the 
engines were still operating," the report says.

GROUND CREW WORKER DIES AFTER BEING ‘INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE’ OF PLANE AT 
ALABAMA AIRPORT 

The NTSB found that the captain then told passengers to remain seated 
until the seat belt sign turned off and said to his colleague that the 
airplane’s left engine would be shut down after it was connected to ground 
power.

"Immediately thereafter, he saw a warning light illuminate and the 
airplane shook violently followed by the immediate automatic shutdown of 
the number 1 [left] engine," the report says. "Unsure of what had 
occurred, he extinguished the emergency lights and shut off both batteries 
before leaving the flight deck to investigate." 

The NTSB, citing surveillance video, said Edwards was seen "walking along 
the leading edge of the left wing and directly in front of the number one 
engine" before she was "subsequently pulled off her feet and into the 
operating engine."

"Throughout the course of the accident, the airplane’s upper rotating 
beacon light," which warns ground crews of ongoing engine activity, 
"appeared to be illuminated," the NTSB said.

The report said just prior to the plane’s arrival, the ramp agents held 
two safety briefings "to reiterate that the engines would remain running 
until ground power was connected."

"It was also discussed that the airplane should not be approached, and the 
diamond of safety cones should not be set until the engines were off, 
spooled down, and the airplane’s rotating beacon light had been 
extinguished by the flight crew," the report continues.

One of the ramp agents reported hearing a "bang" as the engine shut down, 
the NTSB also said.