New Update on Alabama Airport Crew Killed by Plane Engine

According to a report released Monday by the National Transportation Safety Board, the airport crew who died horribly when she stepped in front of an airplane engine a few weeks ago was repeatedly cautioned about the imminent hazards.

Courtney Edwards, a 34-year-old mother of three, was a ground handling agent for Piedmont Airlines at Montgomery Regional Airport.

Alabama Airport Worker Sucked Into Engine

On New Year's Eve, shortly before 3 p.m., she and other ground crew members convened for two quick safety meetings because the pilot of an inbound plane had radioed ahead to inform everyone that he would keep the engines running for two minutes after landing. The cabin's auxiliary power unit had not been functioning.

Crews were ordered to avoid the engines until they were notified that they were no longer operating and the yellow warning signal was switched off. After the Dallas-bound Envoy Air Embraer 170 landed and the right engine was shutting down, the first officer opened the plane's window to reassure the crew that the engines were still working.

At that time, a crew member had seen that Edwards had been nearly pushed over by the plane's exhaust and gave yet another caution for Edwards to keep a safe distance from the engines.

Unfortunately, Edwards misunderstood, forgot, or disregarded the repeated instructions, as she then stepped in front of the left engine and was "pulled off her feet and into the operating engine," according to the latest NTSB report, echoing an earlier NTSB report that stated the worker was "ingested into the engine."

Per Blaze, the most recent report does not provide a plausible explanation for the occurrence, requiring additional study. According to unreleased witness testimony and security footage, Edwards' death and the minutes immediately after it were horrible.

The co-pilot reported that the aircraft aggressively rocked before shutting down with a boom. The aircraft had 63 passengers and four crew members. It is still determined how many ground troops were present during the event.

The report also details instances in which two ramp agents attempted to chase away employees who had gotten too close to an airplane or engine. According to the NTSB investigation, in one incident, an agent witnessed a worker almost fall over due to an engine's exhaust and tried to advise her to remain back.

Crew Was Too Close to Engine Despite Warnings

The NTSB said that crew members had two safety briefings before the Dallas-Fort Worth-bound jet landed at its gate. During these briefings, they were informed that the engines would remain running until power from the ground could be connected.

The crew members were instructed to wait to set up safety cones and to only approach the aircraft once the engines were switched off, the turbines stopped spinning, and the revolving beacon light was extinguished, according to the report.

These remarks were mirrored in an excerpt from American Eagle's ground operations handbook that was included in the NTSB investigation, according to Today.

According to the NTSB report, after installing the cone, which denotes the plane's stationary state, the worker went down the leading edge of the left wing, which placed her right in front of one of the Embraer 170s two engines.

The employee went too close to the engine during this walk along the wing and was therefore killed, according to the NTSB. During the whole occurrence, the revolving beacon light seemed to be on, according to the investigation.

American Airlines and Edwards' mother did not immediately reply to demands for comment. Richard Honeycutt, regional vice president of Communications Workers of America, said earlier this month, "She was gone from her family on New Year's Eve working to ensure that travelers reached their holiday destinations."

She exemplifies the highest standards of our CWA airport members, who make ongoing efforts to assist the traveling public. The union initiated a crowd-funding campaign that has garnered close to $100,000 for Edwards' children.