AN airport employee has died after allegedly getting sucked into a plane's engine in a freak accident, reports claim.
The scary incident unfolded on Saturday at Alabama's Montgomery Regional Airport involving an unidentified American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines ground crew employee.
Two people briefed on the matter told Reuters that the employee, identified only as a baggage handler, was killed in an accident involving one of the engines of an American Airlines plane that was running while at the gate.
"Today around 3 pm an American Airlines ground crew piedmont employee was involved in a fatality, no additional information is available at this time," Montgomery Regional Airport tweeted.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased."
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“We are devastated by the accident involving a team member of Piedmont Airlines, an American Airlines regional carrier, at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM)," AA said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members. We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time."
All inbound and outbound flights were grounded for more than four hours Saturday afternoon, but the airport said it returned to normal operations as of 8:30pm.
The plane was scheduled to depart for Dallas later Saturday afternoon, according to WSFA-12.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.