San Antonio: Airport worker dies after being sucked into Delta Air Lines plane engine

An airport worker in the US has died after being "ingested" into a passenger plane engine, officials have said.

The employee, who has not been named, was sucked into the engine of a Delta Air Lines flight at San Antonio International Airport, last Friday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Delta Flight 1111 was taxiing to its gate with one engine turned on when the incident took place at around 10.25pm local time. It had flown into San Antonio in Texas from Los Angeles.

The NTSB said that it is "continuing to gather information about the event".

The airport worker was employed by Unifi, a company Delta shares a contract with to support ground handling operations.

In a statement, San Antonio International Airport said: "We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation.

"We will share more information as details become available."

A spokesperson for Delta said: "We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member's life in San Antonio.

"Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time."

The spokesperson added the airline is "fully supporting ongoing investigations".

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