A mum has tragically died after being "pulled off her feet" and sucked into plane engine. Airline worker Courtney Edwards was reportedly warned several times to stay back and ignored beacons signalling the engine was on.
The 34-year-old was working as a ground agent for Piedmont Airlines in Alabama, US, on New Year's Eve when the tragedy happened. A preliminary report into the horror incident from the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) says she got too close to the engine of American Eagle flight ENY3408, an Embraer E175 jet, after it arrived from Dallas.
The report noted that the pilots decided to leave the engines on for a two-minute cooling period after landing, until the plane could be connected to ground power. The Daily Star reports that pilots were said to have informed airport workers about this, and the workers were briefed in two separate safety meetings not to approach.
The plane was also alleged to have rotating illuminating beacons to signal that the engine was still on. Detailing what happened on the day of the incident, the report reads: "Immediately thereafter, he [the co-pilot] saw a warning light illuminate and the airplane shook violently followed by the immediate automatic shutdown of the number 1 engine.
"Unsure of what had occurred, he extinguished the emergency lights and shut off both batteries before leaving the flight deck to investigate."
Another worker was reported to have observed as the mum-of-three began to move away from the airplane before he turned to lower the cord for the ground power. Not long after the worker heard a 'bang' and the engine shut down".
The report noted how the American Eagle Ground Operations Manual tells employees to "NEVER approach an aircraft to position ground equipment next to an aircraft or open cargo bin doors until the engines are shut down and the rotating beacon(s) turned off, except when conducting an approved single engine turn".
It is also alleged that there is a video of Edwards walking in front of the left engine before "she was subsequently pulled off her feet and into the operating engine". One crew member says it was "discussed that the airplane should not be approached".
Following the death, a GoFundMe was set up to raise funds for her three kids and mum. The page has so far raised over $100,000 (£81,000).
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