A man lost his life in a tragic incident at Salt Lake City International Airport when he crawled into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet on Monday night.
The 30-year-old, identified as Kyler Efinger, gained access to the secure ramp area through a terminal emergency exit.
He then headed to the south end of the airport’s west runway, where deicing operations were in progress, and entered an aircraft engine that was not running.
Emergency responders discovered Efinger unconscious, and despite their efforts, they were unable to revive him.
The cause of his death remains unclear.
Efinger, a resident of Park City, Utah, possessed a boarding pass for a flight to Denver.
Delta Air Lines Flight 2348, an Airbus A220 bound for San Francisco, returned to the gate, and all 95 passengers disembarked. The flight was subsequently canceled.
The incident unfolded around 10 p.m. when a store manager inside the airport reported a disturbance involving a passenger.
Efinger had exited through an emergency door, reaching the airport’s outdoor ramp area.
During the search, a pilot observed the man, and officers later found personal items on a runway.
Approximately 10 minutes into the search, it was reported that Efinger was at one of the airport’s plane de-icing pads, under a plane, and inside the engine.
Police requested the aircraft’s engines be shut down, and upon arrival, they found Efinger partially inside one of the wing-mounted engines, which were still rotating.
Efforts to save Efinger’s life, including CPR and the administration of naloxone, were unsuccessful.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of his death, and a toxicology report may be carried out.
The incident did not impact other airport operations, according to airport police.
Investigations are underway by the Salt Lake City Police Department, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Transportation Security Administration.
The National Transportation Safety Board stated that it is “gathering information” about the incident, deferring to local police for the investigation.
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