A tragic incident at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam resulted in the death of an individual who fell into a running airplane jet engine. This event, alongside recent aviation incidents, raises concerns about safety in air travel.
A tragic incident occurred at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Wednesday resulting in the death of an individual who fell into a running airplane jet engine. The Netherlands Royal Military Police reported the incident, stating that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding it. It remains unclear whether the deceased was a passenger or an airport employee.
The aircraft, operated by KLM, was preparing for a flight to Billund, Denmark, when the incident occurred. All passengers and employees on board disembarked the plane safely and received necessary care. KLM expressed its condolences and indicated ongoing support for those affected.
Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, described the event as a “horrible incident” and extended its condolences to the relatives of the deceased while also supporting affected passengers and staff.
A similar incident recently occurred at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama in December 2022, where an airport worker was ingested by an aircraft engine. Additionally, another tragic event happened in December 2015 at Mumbai airport involving an engineer.
Separately, another aviation incident was narrowly avoided at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. An American Airlines flight bound for Boston was instructed to cancel takeoff due to a private aircraft landing on an intersecting runway. The planes were approximately 1,300 feet apart at their closest point. No injuries were reported, and the American Airlines flight eventually took off four hours later after an inspection.
The near-miss has prompted calls for reassessment of flight capacity at Reagan National Airport, emphasizing the priority of safety in aviation operations. The FAA is investigating the incident.
