Utah authorities are conducting an inquiry into the death of an individual who entered the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet while it was stationed on the ground at Salt Lake City International Airport late Monday.
Reportedly, the 30-year-old man gained access to the airport’s secure ramp area through a terminal emergency exit.
He proceeded to the south end of the west runway, where deicing operations were underway, and entered an aircraft engine that was not operational at the time.
Emergency responders discovered the man unconscious and were unable to resuscitate him, and the cause of his death remains uncertain, according to airport officials.
The deceased has been identified as Kyler Efinger, a resident of Park City, Utah, by the Salt Lake City Police Department. Efinger possessed a boarding pass for a flight bound for Denver.
Delta Air Lines confirmed that Flight 2348, an Airbus A220 scheduled for departure to San Francisco with 95 passengers on board, returned to the gate following the incident. Subsequently, all passengers deplaned, and the flight was ultimately canceled.
Police were alerted to the situation around 10 p.m. after a store manager within the airport reported a disturbance involving a passenger. Efinger had reportedly exited through an emergency door onto the airport’s outdoor ramp area.
During the search, a pilot observed the individual, leading officers to discover personal items on one of the runways, including clothing and shoes.
Following this, dispatchers informed the police that the man was located at one of the airport’s aircraft de-icing pads, where he accessed the engine of a plane that was still in operation.
Upon reaching the aircraft, law enforcement found Efinger unconscious and partially inside one of the wing-mounted engines, which were still functioning.
The exact circumstances of the engine’s operation at that moment remain subject to investigation.
“SLCPD officers and Airport Operations pulled the man from the engine’s intake cowling, secured the scene, began lifesaving efforts, and requested emergency medical services,” the release said. Those efforts included CPR and the administration of naloxone.
Efinger died on the scene, according to police. An autopsy will be conducted to determine his cause and manner of death, and medical examiners may conduct a toxicology report, the department added.
