An airport worker in Texas died on Friday after he was “sucked up” by the engine of a plane that had just landed on the runway, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Sunday, US media reported.

The man was “asphyxiated by the engine” of the Delta airliner, which “landed at San Antonio International Airport from Los Angeles, California and was proceeding to the gate with only one engine running,” the NTSB said.

The NTSB has opened an investigation to determine the consequences of the accident, which occurred on Friday around 10:25 p.m. local time.

According to local media, the man worked for Unifi Aviation, which provides support services to several airlines, including Delta.

Delta said it was “deeply saddened” by the crash and pledged to “cooperate with the authorities” who are investigating, in a statement carried by local KENS 5.

Piedmont Airlines was fined more than $15,000 by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Wednesday for being responsible for a fatal accident involving an airport worker last year under similar circumstances. (News.ro)