CAL Bagage Handler Sucked into Engine?

[Sam Snead]

I've been in the game 14 years and I've never heard about this happening to anyone with a civilian jet (there's about one civilian airline propeller accident every other year).

The fact that it was mechanic (did I read that right?) indicates that something must have gone disastrously wrong.

I'm sure the whole mx crew is in shock, especially his/her shift.

 

[Metro752]

From my experience working on the ramp, and dealing with hot shots

Maybe he was one of those guys who was too cool to be careful or stay out of the safety zone. One of those guys who tells all the new guys it will only suck you up if it's at full power.

Walking in front of a jet engine is like intentionally walking across rush hour traffic on a 6 lane wide highway in one direction. You just don't do it on accident. #1 thing in your head, even subconsciously is, I dont wanna get sucked in, I dont wanna get sucked in.


OR

Maybe he had a lot of problems, and the whole part about staying away from the front of the engine escaped him.

Maybe he had really good hearing protection and couldn't hear a jet engine, not.

Either way, too bad for his family.

 

[pilot error]

From my experience working on the ramp, and dealing with hot shots

Maybe he was one of those guys who was too cool to be careful or stay out of the safety zone. One of those guys who tells all the new guys it will only suck you up if it's at full power.

Walking in front of a jet engine is like intentionally walking across rush hour traffic on a 6 lane wide highway in one direction. You just don't do it on accident. #1 thing in your head, even subconsciously is, I dont wanna get sucked in, I dont wanna get sucked in.


OR

Maybe he had a lot of problems, and the whole part about staying away from the front of the engine escaped him.

Maybe he had really good hearing protection and couldn't hear a jet engine, not.

Either way, too bad for his family.

or maybe we could extend the same courtesy we give to pilots and not speculate.

 

[andy_paul]

http://www.elpasotimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060117/NEWS/601170325/1001

Link to story in El Paso Times.

An engine run up while passengers are boarding? Is this a common practice, or just the media butchering up the story?

Something isnt adding up here. An engine at idle, you would have to dang near jump in the thing. If its spooled up, thats different all together. Im pretty sure that A-6 video was an engine run up to full power, and the suckee was in the wrong place, or the sucker was unaware of his presence at time of said run up.

The sound alone from a running turbine is enough to earn a healthy respect. Hell even a running apu with earplugs would earn my respect when I was on the ramp.

Condolences to the family and co workers.

 

[FN FAL]

I heard a story that XJ suffered an engine loss on an ARJ when a line person was walking near an operating with an engine cover in his/her hands.

 

[Metro752]

I've seen guys have their reflective vests get sucked off, and yelling, you'r next!

 

[User546]

We happened to arrive into El Paso shortly after the accident had occurred. As we're taxiing into the FBO I noticed over at the terminal was 10-15 fire trucks, police cars, airport vehicles all surrounding a Continental plane at the gate.

We couldn't figure out what was going on, so when we got out we asked the lineman if he knew anything. He told us "one of the mechanics got sucked into the turbine and theres nothing left of him."

One of the lineman who drove us to lunch was telling us that he'd been standing about 15 feet from the guy when he got sucked in. He said it appears that the guys hat blew off, and when he went to reach for it he got caught in the suction of the intake and in the blink of an eye he disappeared. Said he probably never knew what hit him. He said the engine then made a series of loud explosions and then shut down. He said there was very little remains left of the victim, and what was left had been shot all the way out across the ramp and out to the adjoining taxiway. He said it was a very gruesome sight.

What I gathered about the unfortunate gentleman was that he was in his early 60's, had four children, and didn't work for Continental, but worked for a mechanic shop next to the FBO. All the employees of the FBO knew him well and were visibly shaken up and upset over the ordeal. The terrible part is that he had only been over there helping because he didn't have any work to do that morning, so he thought he'd go over and lend them a hand - something he'd do from time to time.

Later in the day they towed the Continental plane away from the hanger, and adjacent to where the FBO was, where I grabbed a couple shots of the accident airplane.

Photos taken shortly after the accident:
Photo 1 - Emergency Vehicles
Photo 2 - Upclose of Terminal

Photos taken after the 737 had been towed away:
Photo 1 - Investigators Looking Over Engine
Photo 2 - Accident Airplane
Photo 3 - Upclose of Engine *Warning Blood*

Please remember this guys family and keep them in your prayers during this hard time. And also remember, we're never guaranteed tomorrow. This guy woke up on just another Monday morning, ate breakfast, got dressed, went to work like all the rest of us do. In the blink of an eye, his life was over. This could have been any of us today, and you should never take every day you have for granted.
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/6157369/detail.html

 

[FN FAL]

What I gathered about the unfortunate gentleman was...

...that he really liked THAT hat?

 

[andy_paul]

I knew something didnt add up. I am sure that Continental could have handled the mx with their hired mechanics alone.

User 997, did this outfit do any contract work for Continental that you know of? Did they have the business or need to be around a Co aircraft?

I would imagine that the guy was just trying to help, but dang, I wonder if he was even properly trained to be around running turbines?

All due respect to the poor guy.
I don't want to speculate.

 

[User546]

User 997, did this outfit do any contract work for Continental that you know of? Did they have the business or need to be around a Co aircraft?

I did read in one of the El Paso online news articles that it appears he was a contract supplier for Continental, so he probably had every right to be there, and had been trained the dangers of jet engines.

A guy in the FBO said he would go over there from time to time to help the mechanics out, so it probably wasn't his first time around.