Posted on 05/08/2026 2:24:18 PM PDT by DFG
An investigation is ongoing after a Delta Air Lines worker died Thursday night at Orlando International Airport.
12:45 p.m. update:
The FAA has released more information after a Delta worker died while on the job at the Orlando International Airport.
An FAA spokesperson confirmed with Channel 9 that the Delta worker died after an aircraft towing vehicle, known as a “tug,” struck a passenger boarding bridge.
The incident happened around 10:55 p.m. on Thursday.
The FAA said no aircraft were involved in the incident, but passengers aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 2593 deplaned via the rear door and airstairs afterward.
Channel 9 has a crew working to gather more details and will provide updates on Eyewitness News.
Original report:
A Delta Air Lines team member died while on the job at Orlando International Airport on Thursday.
A Delta spokesperson said the airline is working with local authorities as a full investigation into the incident gets underway.
The airline stated it is heartbroken by the loss and is focused on extending full support to the team member’s family and its Orlando team.
“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of a team member while on the job at Orlando International Airport on the evening of May 7,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement. “We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time. We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”
Operations at the Delta Orlando station were paused on Thursday evening while work with investigators ensued.
This resulted in the cancellation of one flight departure that evening.
Customers affected by the cancellation were accommodated on other flights and Delta offered apologies for the delay in their travels.
A spokesperson for Orlando International Airport released the following statement to Channel 9:
“The MCO community is deeply saddened about the loss of a team member from one of our airline partners, a member of our extended airport family. We send our condolences to his family and friends.”
The Orlando Police Department released this statement and confirmed it is investigating the worker’s death.
“At this time, the Orlando Police Department is conducting a death investigation. Preliminary information suggests the incident was accidental in nature. The investigation is taking place within the airside terminal and is having minimal impact on airport operations.
To preserve the integrity of the investigation and out of respect for those involved, no additional details are being released at this time."
For perspective...
In the United States, a fatal work-related injury occurs every 104 minutes. In 2024, there were 5,070 fatal work injuries recorded, translating to a rate of 3.3 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. While large industrial accidents make headlines, many fatalities occur daily across various sectors due to transportation incidents, falls, and equipment hazards.
- google AI overview
I share your frustration. I've been reading newspapers since the early '60s. Back then, who, what, where, how, why, and when, were commonly found in news stories. Not so anymore, especially on the internet such as in Yahoo News and TV station stories where just bare bones information is given with absolutely no followup questions from the reporter leaving the reader exasperated by the lack of information.
I’ll give a pass on the ‘who’ for now - if they have to track down relatives to notify them. But even there, the reporter should ask, and get ‘name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin’
Stationary aviation worker accidents are oddly common or at least more than perceived
That does make sense. As heavy as those tugs are, it would seem hard to flip one. But we say the same about forklifts (and the importance of forklift seatbelts)...
I agree. The headline contained more information than the article.
Something used to tow aircraft.
“My understanding is that if they tested ramp workers for drugs, they’d have no ramp workers.”
Back in the day the Navy decided to test sub crews.
That had us very worried. One sub had to cancel their Westpac departure from Hawaii after results came in.
Our tests were scheduled next, right before our scheduled departure.
Navy quickly canceled the testing. We left on schedule for our successful cruise.
“My understanding is that if they tested ramp workers for drugs, they’d have no ramp workers.”
If they checked for illegal aliens...
Aircraft tug drivers, when they crash (and they do), usually crash into the aircraft itself, not the bridge or other vehicles.
Or sometimes they hit the gas instead of the brake in the equipment yard and run into a hydraulic mule. Ask me how I know. ;)
Airfields are like Australia; Everything is looking for an excuse to kill you at any moment.
I used to drive them when I was young. Don’t forget how slippery it gets when it rains. Guys used to whip the train of carts behind the tug when it rained. I was in LA and worked for Delta for a year. Didn’t want to work for an airline the rest of my life.
Post 9/11 security makes it very difficult to hire illegal aliens working near airplanes.
“Post 9/11 security makes it very difficult to hire illegal aliens working near airplanes.”
Nope. Denver checked after 9/11 and found over 100 of them still.
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