OSHA fines American Airlines subsidiary $15k after worker gets sucked into plane engine, dies

FILE IMAGE - A passenger aircraft as seen taxiing. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) An airline has been fined $15,625 following an incident late last year at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama, where a ground crew worker died after she was "ingested" into an airplane engine.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined Piedmont Airlines, an American Airlines subsidiary, after investigators determined the airline was at fault in the New Year's Eve death of Courtney Edwards, a ground agent for Piedmont Airlines.An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Edwards, a 34-year-old mother of three, approached American Airlines Flight 3408 after it had recently landed when she was sucked into the plane's engine.

She did not survive.The plane had just completed a trip from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas.AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUND CREW WORKER DIES AFTER BEING ‘INGESTED INTO THE ENGINE' AT ALABAMA AIRPORTOSHA's $15,625 penalty is the maximum under the law."The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or were likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees that were exposed to ingestion and jet blast hazards," OSHA said.Crystal Byrd, a spokesperson at Piedmont Airlines, told Dallas Morning News the company is investigating the incident."Safety is always our top priority for our team members," Byrd said. "We appreciate the recommendations from OSHA and will ensure that a thorough review is accomplished."The U.S.

has no plans to delay the July 1 deadline to refit planes with new sensors to address the possibility of interference caused by 5G.