Mechanic Dies After Being Ingested By Jet Engine

[tomokc]

An engineer working on an airplane engine in New Zealand was sucked into the machine and killed.

Air New Zealand confirmed the man's death, saying he was working on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules engine early Monday. He was identified by local television reports as Miles Hunter, 51. The engine was not attached to a plane, but was on a stand when the incident occurred.

Rob Fyfe, chief executive of Air New Zealand, told TVNZ News that officials were at a "complete loss" as to how the incident occurred.

"It was a very routine procedure with very experienced people involved," he said.

Although rare, such gruesome deaths are not unprecedented. A U.S. Navy serviceman survived after being sucked into a jet engine on an aircraft carrier in 1991.

 

[MikeD]

Eerily similar to the mechanic who was sucked into the CAL 737 engine at ELP while doing a high power run back in 2006. Was a gruesome scene.

 

[Murdoughnut]

Eerily similar to the mechanic who was sucked into the CAL 737 engine at ELP while doing a high power run back in 2006. Was a gruesome scene.

I saw the pictures from that - not sure how anyone who witnessed it could get up and go to work anytime soon after that. Of course my firefighter bro-in-law sees a lot of gross stuff and doesn't seem phased by it.

 

[boondr]

C130 jet engine? Air New Zealand with C130s? something is not adding up here.



Edit: Alright I read the article makes a bit more sense.

 

[saxman]

A friend of mine showed me some pics from that CAL engine. They still stick in my mind.

 

[Inverted]

Eerily similar to the mechanic who was sucked into the CAL 737 engine at ELP while doing a high power run back in 2006. Was a gruesome scene.

The pictures still haunt me of that scene...

 

[JordanD]

The pictures still haunt me of that scene...

I never could get the nerve to look at them. I think I'll keep it that way...

 

[MQAAord]

Shorty before I got hired at Eagle there had been an AA ramper who was bringing some connecting bags over to an Eagle flight who walked right into the #1 engine prop arc. While it was running. It was gruesome, messy, and witnessed by pax on the plane and in the terminal. I flew several times with the CA working that incident. He was upset about it for a very long time, though there was absoutely nothing he could have done to prevent it.

Accidents happen...

 

[ZeroPapaGolf]

The pictures still haunt me of that scene...

Yes indeed.


If you haven't seen them, keep it that way. It's pretty bad.

 

[MikeD]

Yes indeed.


If you haven't seen them, keep it that way. It's pretty bad.

Yup. Couldn't even recognize there having been a human being there.

 

[flyinawa]

Had some sort of a pack issue or bleed leak indication on an ATR while working at Eagle. It could be MEL'ed but required the bleed to be capped off. The mechanic pulled the cowl off and got the job done. Prior to putting the cowl back on, he said he needed to have the engine started to make sure there wasn't any leaks. Another mechanic started it up while the first guy stood on the leading edge of the wing, right over the uncowled PT6. He spent about 3 minutes up there casually leaning forward to peer down at the idling engine. I think I watched for about 30 seconds...then turned away in case the guy slipped forward. It would have been ugly and I didn't want that image in my head.

 

[Lunchbox]

Yes indeed.


If you haven't seen them, keep it that way. It's pretty bad.

Thanks, reverse psychology! I had to go look it up but it actually wasn't so bad because you can't even make out a person (if that makes any sense).

 

[ackeight]

Thanks, reverse psychology! I had to go look it up but it actually wasn't so bad because you can't even make out a person (if that makes any sense).

Me too. Still messy

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Very sad...keep your head on a swivel!

 

[pullup]

Thanks, reverse psychology! I had to go look it up but it actually wasn't so bad because you can't even make out a person (if that makes any sense).

Me too, f-in gross. You could see bone fragments all over the ground...blech!!

 

[ChasenSFO]

This kind of stuff crosses my mind sometimes out on the ramp. I saw a guy get run over by a pushback the other night, that was bad enough, I can't imagine seeing someone walk into a prop, nor do I want to.

I personally haven't seen the CO pics, I hate that kind of stuff.

 

[SurferLucas]

I was in ATL one night and witnessed a ramper get hit by an EMB-120's running engine...it was absolutely terrible. The way ASA used to park the EMB's in ATL, it was the right angle to throw bits and pieces against the windows of the C concourse.

I didn't sleep well for a while after seeing that

 

[ASpilot2be]

We had a King Air almost take out a LST last winter. It was coming to a stop, but kept on sliding. They threw it into beta, and came to a stop. Very close call. Scary stuff.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Ugh. No good at all. I'm paranoid about that kind of stuff. As a very wise man once told me, "airplanes play for keeps".

 

[VTC_WS6]

Thanks, reverse psychology! I had to go look it up but it actually wasn't so bad because you can't even make out a person (if that makes any sense).

Same. Not to be insensitive but the fact of the matter is, it could've been a farm animal run through it and you couldn't tell, at least not from the 2 or 3 pics I saw. Gotta be a life altering event for any eye witnesses though.