On Monday night at Salt Lake City International Airport, a man was discovered dead inside an airplane engine. According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, the 30-year-old individual breached an emergency exit door, walked onto the tarmac, and entered the jet’s engine.
Officers found the man unconscious within an engine mounted to the wing of a commercial aircraft that was loaded with passengers. The preliminary investigation revealed that the plane was stationary on a de-icing pad, and the engine was not in operation at the time.
The identity of the deceased individual and the cause of death have not been disclosed. The incident came to light when the manager of a store within the airport reported a disturbance just before 10 p.m. The manager informed the Airport Control Center that he observed a man passing through the emergency exit.
Upon locating the man, first responders extracted him from the engine intake cowling, which directs air flow to the engine fan section, and administered life-saving measures. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Passengers were evacuated from the plane, but airport operations overall remained unaffected, police said. The initial findings suggest that the man gained access to the airport’s ramp area through the emergency exit and proceeded to enter the nearby engine.
An airport spokesperson has not responded to inquiries via email and phone.
