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Report: Airport Worker Sucked into Plane Engine Was Repeatedly Warned to Stay Back
RNN ^ | 01-26-2023 | Jim Clayborn

Posted on 01/26/2023 7:58:53 AM PST by montag813

by Jim Clayborn

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report regarding the death of an airport worker at the Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama on New Year’s Eve.

The report indicated that Courtney Edwards, 34, a ramp agent for American Airlines subsidiary, Piedmont Airlines, was killed after she was sucked into a plane engine despite being warned not to get close to the engine.

At around 2:40 p.m., American Eagle flight ENY3408 from Dallas-Fort Worth arrived at the gate following an “uneventful flight,” according to the NTSB report via Alabama News Network. After stopping the plane, the crew let both engines keep running for the required two-minute engine cool-down period as they waited for the plane to be connected to the power in the ground.

The crew did this since they were operating with a broken auxiliary power unit.

As crew members were shutting down the engines, they got an alert that the cargo door was open. The first officer opened his window from the cockpit to let the ramp agents know that the engines were still running, while the captain announced for passengers to remain in their seats.

The first officer then reported he “saw a warning light illuminate and the airplane shook violently followed by the immediate automatic shutdown of the number 1 engine,” according to the report. “Unsure of what had occurred, he extinguished the emergency lights and shut off both batteries before leaving the flight deck to investigate.”

(Excerpt) Read more at rightnewsnow.org ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: americanairlines; courtneyedwards; ebonics; guess; no; piedmontairlines; signs
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To: montag813

I was a CVN nuke back in the day. On the flight deck 3 times total unless I was boarding or exiting an aircraft. That place scared the crap out of me.


61 posted on 01/26/2023 8:40:30 AM PST by 3RIVRS
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To: red-dawg
"GET AWAY FROM THE ENGINE!!"

""WHAT??!!"

FOOMP!!


More like:
"GET AWAY FROM THE ENGINE!!!"

"DON' YOU GO TELLIN' ME WHAT TA DO, CRAKA! I'M..."

FOOMP!!


62 posted on 01/26/2023 8:44:05 AM PST by COBOL2Java (Gun laws empower criminals. Guns empower the people.)
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To: montag813

probably should’ve used ebonics in the warning...


63 posted on 01/26/2023 8:46:02 AM PST by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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To: montag813

Are aptitude exams given for those jobs ? Either she was suicidal or not bright/ responsible enough to be working there.


64 posted on 01/26/2023 8:46:34 AM PST by lee martell
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To: montag813

I bet the lawyers are circling her family like vultures right now, some very deep pockets sitting there waiting to be lightened by them for 1/3 + expenses...


65 posted on 01/26/2023 8:48:35 AM PST by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: montag813

Poor passengers that had to see that.


66 posted on 01/26/2023 8:52:34 AM PST by Hazwaste (Socialists are like slinkies. Only good for pushing down stairs.)
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To: EVO X
Interesting video. One point the narrator made is that the taxi time at big airports is so long that they meet the two minute engine cool-down requirement while taxiing to the terminal, but at smaller airports, the taxi time is so short that they have to keep the engines running while at the gate to meet the cool-down time requirement.

There are lots of good comments at the YouTube site you linked about the pressures put on ground crews.

@markkramer8878
I'm a legacy airline Captain and have seen this more than once at my own airline. I recently challenged a ground crew as to why they did it. The response "We're told to do that to get the crew's pay clock to stop". I couldn't believe my ears. With "any" door open and parking brake set it stops the pay clock, shows the in time and ends the "block time" on the aircraft. My airline would deny it, but that's straight from the person that did it. I'll bet you it's no different at Piedmont, no matter what the report says. Follow the money and know that the FAA on-time statistics is a factor as well.

@576103
Twice last year, I pulled into the gate with engines running and wasn’t able to shut down right away and rampers immediately swarmed the airplane, popped the cargo door etc in clear violation of all safety protocols. In both cases after we shut down I ran outside to put my foot in somebody’s ass. In both cases, the rampers were utterly dismissive of my concerns, and treated me as if I was a fool for being concerned. They could barely conceal their contempt as they explained that there was absolutely no danger, and they knew this because they do it all the time. I elevated my concerns to their management and as far as I know, nothing was done. Hopefully this incident changes a few minds…

@greg6229
I've worked on the Ramp in Australia for nearly 2 decades. I'm a leading hand, supervisor and trainer covering all aspects of ground handling for narrow body aircraft including the E170 aircraft and some wide body aircraft. There's a heavy focus on safety before schedule with what we do here. Having said that following covid there is a massive push from airlines to save money and one of the biggest areas has been in handling costs when contracting 3rd party ground handlers which is the case for me. We are turning aircraft with less staff while being expected to provide the same level of service as we did before covid. While we constantly hear about safety first there is definitely time pressure being placed on independent handlers from airlines while expecting everything to be perfect from a safety aspect.


67 posted on 01/26/2023 8:54:52 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Once you get people to believe that a plural pronoun is singular, they'll believe anything - nicollo)
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To: IYAS9YAS

Yep,
The ground crew was warned to not approach the aircraft until the engines were spooled down for 60-90 seconds and the rotating beacon was off. They waited for neither.


68 posted on 01/26/2023 8:55:28 AM PST by jaydubya2
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To: Perseverando

Sad, but true.


69 posted on 01/26/2023 8:57:17 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: montag813
"Where's Courtney?"

"Around."

70 posted on 01/26/2023 8:59:40 AM PST by Sirius Lee (They intend to murder us. Prep if you want to live and live like you are prepping for eternal life)
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To: montag813
Here's a YouTube animation video of what happens when a person is sucked into a large jet engine.

It's like a high-speed blender.

71 posted on 01/26/2023 9:01:32 AM PST by Carl Vehse (A proud member of the LGBFJB community)
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To: montag813
could have been that she was not english speaking....or not qualified yet hired for pc reasons....

and it could have just been a momentary lapse of judgement....

anyway....rest in peace and may the family have peace as well....

sad story....

72 posted on 01/26/2023 9:03:51 AM PST by cherry
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

After all the warnings my inclination is she was leaving a law suit for her family. Or at least she thought she was.

No matter, American will settle if they can and in the right or not will have to pay her estate. They simply can’t risk jury trial of a poor black woman in Alabama by a jury of her “peers”. Some pettifogging lawyer will still get well on the settlement.

It may sound cruel to think this but I would not put it pas her or a lot of others.

The working poor are more desperate than the destitute. Our system is effed in that somehow a dollar or two either way can provide full benefits or no benefits. Our system is not intended to help those who are doing their best to help themselves and to get them back on their feet. It is designed for dependency for the duration.


73 posted on 01/26/2023 9:06:03 AM PST by Sequoyah101 (Procrastination is just a form of defiance.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Juan didn’t broach the subject, but I wonder if impairment was an issue..


74 posted on 01/26/2023 9:06:58 AM PST by EVO X ( )
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To: montag813

Sucks to be him


75 posted on 01/26/2023 9:07:22 AM PST by ConservativeInPA (Stupidly is a moral problem, not an intellectual problem. )
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To: montag813
The first officer opened his window from the cockpit to let the ramp agents know that the engines were still running,

It's a jet engine. It's fairly obvious when it's running, just from the noise. That she was KNOCKED DOWN by the exhaust should have been a further clue.

“Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.” ― Robert Heinlein

76 posted on 01/26/2023 9:10:18 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so stupid people won’t be offended)
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To: EVO X

Good point about impairment. There must be a lot of that on the ramp.


77 posted on 01/26/2023 9:10:29 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (Once you get people to believe that a plural pronoun is singular, they'll believe anything - nicollo)
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To: Abathar

Yes, the but the NTSB report is not going to help their case...


78 posted on 01/26/2023 9:11:18 AM PST by GreenLanternCorps (Hi! I'm the Dread Pirate Roberts! (TM) Ask about franchise opportunities in your area.)
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To: Yo-Yo

I’m wondering if it was intentional suicide?


79 posted on 01/26/2023 9:11:19 AM PST by PapaBear3625 (We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so stupid people won’t be offended)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Another issue might vax status. If the airline lost ramp workers in the past because of mandates, there might be unqualified or inexperienced workers on the ramp.


80 posted on 01/26/2023 9:19:03 AM PST by EVO X ( )
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