29 May 2024 , 18:16
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A "hellish noise" was heard by airport passengers after a person was sucked into a plane engine and killed on the runway of Amsterdam's main airport.
The individual is thought to have got stuck inside the engine of a reported KLM Cityhopper Embraer E190 as it was being pushed back from the stand in preparation for its departure from Schipol Airport to Denmark. Passengers and crew members reportedly witnessed the horror death unfold before emergency services rushed to the scene.
It is not yet clear whether the individual, who remains unidentified, was a passenger or an employee. Witnesses said there was a "hellish noise" as the person was sucked into the jet turbine. One told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf: "Many people saw it happen."
Images from the scene showed the KLM plane surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances as emergency services rushed to the runway.
The KLM plane was surrounded by fire trucks and ambulances (UKNIP)A Dutch military police source said the plane was taxiing on the runway but had to halt take-off after an irregularity was detected with the engine, The Telegraph reports. The plane was reportedly full of passengers when the incident took place and authorities are hoping to speak to them shortly. The aircraft, which carries up to 104 passengers, was scheduled to take off for Billund in Denmark at 2.25pm.
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In a statement, pilots union VNV said: "Our first concern and thoughts go out to those involved and their relatives. We offer our cooperation and expertise in the investigation into the exact cause."
Local news source NL Times said authorities evacuated all passengers from the departing aircraft. The Marechaussee, a branch of the military responsible for policing the airport, said in a statement: "All passengers and employees of the flight in question have disembarked and are being taken care of.”
KLM said the circumstances are currently being investigated (UKNIP)Airline KLM said in a statement that the circumstances surrounding the death are currently being investigated. It said: "Today there was a horrible incident at Schiphol in which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine. Sadly the person has died. We receive passengers and employees who have seen this at Schiphol. The circumstances are currently being investigated. For further information - as soon as available - we refer to the Royal Military Police."
A statement released by Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) airport reads: “Today there was a horrible incident where a person ended up in an airplane engine. Our thoughts go out to the relatives and we care for the passengers and colleagues who witnessed this. The Royal Military Police is currently conducting an investigation.”