A 30-year-old man died at Salt Lake City International Airport on Monday after going through an emergency exit on the tarmac and climbing into a plane engine.
At about 9:52 p.m. local time, a manager at a store on the secured side of the airport reported an unspecified disturbance involving the eventual victim, the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a release.
As officers responded, the man breached a security door and ran onto the tarmac, going to the southern end of the western runway as deicing operations were underway.
The man then crawled into a plane engine, which was not in operation at the time, Salt Lake City airport officials said in a release.
At about 10:10 p.m. local time, the man was found unconscious in the engine. Efforts to save the man were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
“It is unclear at this time what injuries caused the man’s death whose name is being withheld upon notification of family members,” airport officials added.
The plane had been slated for a Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco International Airport. The 95 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants had to deplane and the flight was canceled, the air carrier told KSL-TV.
The city is working with police, the Transportation Security Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the fatal incident. Delta is aiding the investigation.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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