Mechanic Sucked Into Jet Engine, Killed

The Indy Channel ^ | January 16, 2006 | AP

[Abathar]

EL PASO, Texas -- A mechanic died Monday after being sucked into a Continental Airlines jet engine at El Paso International Airport.

Houston-based Continental said the accident involving Flight 1515 happened during a maintenance check before takeoff to Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The plane was a Boeing 737-500 with 114 passengers and five crew members.

A spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board said there had been an earlier problem with the No. 2 engine, so the engine cowlings were open.

She said a mechanic walked in front of the engine and was pulled into it.

The victim's identity wasn't immediately released.

[Abathar]

What a horrible way to go, just enough time to realize what is happening as you get pulled in...

[G.Mason]

Hmmmm ... Who will get blamed for this? It surely couldn't be the mechanics fault.

[agere_contra]

Horrible way to die. My sympathies to his family.

Hope it doesn't sound horrible but I feel really sorry for the rest of the maintenance crew.

[Rebelbase]

For his sake I hope he went head first.

[Onelifetogive]

Who will get blamed for this?

...before takeoff to Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.

It was Bush's fault...

[The Louiswu]

didn't something like this happen to a fight deck crewman on an aircraft carrier during the First Gulf War?

[beaversmom]

Ah gee--not another one. The story of the wood chipper accident victim gave me the creeps for days. Poor people.

[Abathar]

I don't know, but I did see a video of a guy during the Vietnam war that got sucked head first into a navy A7 corsair (I think it was, large up front intake) his helmet gut sucked off and blew the compressor blades out before he went through, he lived to tell the tale. Bet he never walks in front of a plane again without thinking about that.

[martin_fierro]

Yes

[posterchild]

Not that I doubt the media (/sarc) but could something like this actually happen? If the plane were at the beginning of the runway and powered up for takeoff, then I could understand that the engine had some sucking power. If the plane is just sitting on the tarmac, could the engine be powered up so much that it could suck a person in yet not be moving the plane??

[bikepacker67]

HOLY CRAP!

And the guy lived!

[GarySpFc]

Ping

[Abathar]

yes, even at 25% power those things can move a huge amount of air, full throttle can throw a car end over end behind it, that means a lot of pull from the front of the engine too. The article said there was engine problem so the guy was probably looking at something with the cowling off and the pilot revved her up. I wonder how they could even collect the poor guys remains, buy the time he made it through the turbines and was blown out the back they would need a fire hose to move him into a pile. (too early to think about that)

[wolfcreek]

Sunday morning in Ceder Park,Tx., A highway employee was accidentally backed over and crushed by a street roller. Sounds like these types of things are happening more and more.

[CPOSharky]

didn't something like this happen to a fight deck crewman on an aircraft carrier during the First Gulf War?

The flight deck is a dangerous place to work, But thanks to training, watching each other's back, and liberal (hate to use that word, but yall know what it really means) a$$ chewings, ingestions are rare. In my several years on the flight deck there was only one ingestion and tht was not fatal thanks to some quick thinking and a flying tackle to the victem's legs.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Damn, that'll ruin your whole day.

[The_Victor]

Hmmmm ... Who will get blamed for this? It surely couldn't be the mechanics fault.

Anyone who works on the flight line recieves safety training that involves very specific instruction for working around running engines. The safety reminders are posted everywhere (engine speed vs distance from intake). Whatever happened, it was probably an "out of the normal" situation, that caught the mechanic off guard. Damned tragic.

[G.Mason]

Poor inattentive people.

[martin_fierro]

That was the first version I'd seen with sound & that explained that the guy actually *survived*.

[G.Mason]

Good catch! ;)