A Delta Air Lines employee at the Orlando International Airport (MCO) is confirmed to have died after a tragic accident involving an airplane tug crashing into a jetbridge late on Thursday evening.
The accident occurred at around 9 pm on May 7 as Delta flight DL-2593 from Orlando to Minneapolis, operated by an Airbus A321, was preparing for departure.
Passengers had already boarded the aircraft when a large airplane tug crashed into the jetbridge being used for this flight. An employee was killed in the incident, although the circumstances of the worker’s death remain unclear.
There has been speculation that the employee killed in this incident was the driver of the tug driver, and that they may have suffered a medical episode which led to the collision.
It also remains unclear whether the crash resulted in any damage to the aircraft, although the flight had to be cancelled and the passengers were deplaned via mobile airstairs that were positioned at the rear of the airplane.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines confirmed the incident, saying: “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.”
“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.”
Last January, an American Airlines ramp agent was killed in a horrific accident at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) when they were run over by an aircraft tug vehicle that was reversing.
Given how incredibly safe the aviation industry is as a whole, it is sometimes easy to forget that working on the airport ramp can be very hazardous and comes with unique challenges, including vehicles of all shapes and sizes that you would never see on a public road.
In late 2024, an airport ground worker was killed in a bizarre incident at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Finland after they were crushed to death when they were trapped between a plane and a lavatory servicing vehicle.
The accident occurred when a tug driver started to push an Airbus A350 back from the gate in order to tow it to a remote parking bay without realizing the lavatory waste truck was still parked underneath the aircraft, towards the rear of the plane, and that the operator was actively servicing the lavatories.
When the plane was pushed back from the gate, it’s believed that the operator was crushed between the side of the aircraft and the waste truck.
