Man tragically dies after crawling into airplane engine at Salt Lake City airport
7:50 AM EST, January 3, 2024
Police in Utah, USA are currently probing the death of a man who, on Monday evening, crawled into the engine of a Delta Air Lines plane at the international Salt Lake City airport.
According to the information available, the 30-year-old seemed to have entered the secure airport ramp through an emergency terminal exit. "He rushed towards the runway, where de-icing operations were in progress, and climbed into the plane's engine," stated the airport.
The man has died. At this point, the specific injuries that resulted in his death remain unclear. Salt Lake City officers identified him as Kyler Efinger, a resident of Park City in Utah. He possessed a boarding pass for a flight to Denver.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that the Airbus A220, destined for San Francisco, returned to its gate where all 95 passengers deboarded. Eventually, Flight 2348 was cancelled.
Man died after crawling into an aircraft engine at Salt Lake City airport
Officers were alerted to the airport around 10:00 PM following a disturbance involving a passenger at the terminal, reported by a shop manager who dialed 911.
The officers noted that the man managed to exit through the terminal's emergency door and ended up on the airport's external ramp. During their search, a pilot reported sighting him near one of the planes. Moments after, officers found personal items on one of the runways, including clothing and shoes.
After ten minutes of searching, dispatchers informed that the man was found at a de-icing station, having gone beneath the plane.
Upon receiving this information, the police immediately contacted air traffic controllers to instruct the pilot to shut down the plane's engines. They later found Efinger unconscious in one of the engines.
Officers and airport staff extracted the man from the engine intake cover, secured the area, initiated a rescue operation, and called for emergency medical services, as per the statement.
According to police, Efinger was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy will be performed to ascertain the cause and manner of his death. The ongoing investigation continues.
