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On Sunday, I wrote about the sad story of a ground worker at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) who was sucked into a Delta Air Lines jet engine. ABC7 reported that the Bexar County medical examiner’s office has now determined that his death was by suicide.
A ground worker named David Renner (pictured above) was killed after being pulled into a jet engine on Friday night at San Antonio International Airport (SAT). Emergency crews were on the tarmac around 10:30 PM after an employee had what looked like an accident with the engine of an Airbus A319. Delta Air Lines flight DL1111 had just arrived from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) when the incident occurred.
The New York Post reported more details about the young man’s mental health struggles. He wasn’t exhibiting any signs of self harm and had been “happy and sober for months” according to his brother, Joshua Renner.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Monday that it will not open an investigation into this tragic situation. The accident investigator said that “there were no operational safety issues with either the airplane or the airport.”
This is the second time in recent months that an employee has been “ingested” by an airplane engine. The first occurred in late December when a Piedmont Air (a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines) plane’s engine caused the horrific death of an employee at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM). More details here. Piedmont Air was fined $15,000 (plus additional fines levied) by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after it ruled that the victim had improper safety training.
Anthony’s Take: It’s so sad to see someone think there is no way out of whatever pain they’re feeling and that taking their life is the only way. I hope that his family and friends find some peace in the future.
(Photo Credit for Image of David Brenner: The New York Post.)
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4 comments
Sounds like he was caught trying to scam Delta or Delta is trying to deny workers comp. . All the passengers should be compensated for mental distress by getting 1 million SkyMiles, which is just barely enough for a ATL-CLT one way in economy.
Who’s the guy with the tie in the picture? The victim or the author? And if it’s the author, why would you put such a big picture in the article?
The picture is of the ground worker who died in San Antonio. I updated the article to clarify.
Without opening an investigation to determine what specifically happened and interviewing all involved, including others who had personal contact with him the day or days prior, how could they make this determination? An investigation should be required to be opened that follows proper protocol due to a fatality. It may be a very short investigation if they find evidence to confirm what they suspect, i.e., suicide note, comments to coworkers, call to hotline, or other behavior, but the investigation should take place never the less. So sorry for the families loss, the coworkers who witnessed this, and the pilots who will undoubtedly carry this burden with them. A real tragedy for everyone concerned.