‘RECOGNIZED HAZARDS’

American Airlines Fined $15k After Worker Was ‘Ingested’ by Engine and Killed

Federal safety regulators found Piedmont Airlines did not create an environment free of “recognized hazards” for employees “exposed to ingestion and jet blast hazards.”

An American Airlines regional carrier has been slammed with a $15,625 fine after a ground crew worker was killed from being “ingested into the engine” of a plane at an Alabama airport on New Year’s Eve. Investigators for The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found Piedmont Airlines did not create an environment free of “recognized hazards” for employees “exposed to ingestion and jet blast hazards,” according to the union Courtney Edwards belonged to. A previous report from the National Transportation Safety Board claimed the crew had been warned prior to the accident to not approach the aircraft until the engine was shut off and a beacon light was turned off, according to The Dallas Morning News. Edwards, a mother of three, reportedly walked too close to a jet as it was parking and was sucked in by the immense force of the engine. Piedmont has 15 days to either comply with the penalty, request an OSHA conference, or contest the citation.