Person sucked into engine of plane at Amsterdam Airport

KLM jet engine similar to that which an individual has tragically lost their life (LADbible)

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by Mick the Ram

In a horrific incident, a person has been killed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport this afternoon (29 May) after being sucked into the engine of a departing plane.

The as yet unnamed individual was dragged inside the turbine of a KLM City-hopper Embraer E190, which can carry up to 104 passengers, as it was being pushed back from a stand in preparation for its departure.

Passengers and crew members reportedly watched the horror unfold from Flight 1341, shortly before its scheduled take off for Billund in Denmark. Authorities quickly evacuated the aircraft, with many being treated for shock.

Officers working on behalf of the Dutch Safety Board attended to scene to try and piece together the circumstances around the awful incident.

Dead person’s identity unknown

Emergency services attended immediately, and at this early stage the dead person remains unidentified. It is also unknown whether they were a passenger, or an airport employee.

Witness heard “hellish noise”

A witness reported hearing what they described as a “hellish noise” as the individual entered the jet turbine and confirmed that the appalling incident was seen by many people, both on the plane and on the runway.

Military police assist in evacuating plane

The “Koninklijke Marechaussee”, who are a branch of the military responsible for policing the airport, said in a statement: “An incident occurred this afternoon on the Schiphol platform where a person fell into a running aircraft engine and died.”

They went on to confirm: “All passengers and employees of the flight in question have disembarked and are receiving specialist care.”

Immediate reactions

Pilots union VNV said: “Our first concern and thoughts go out to those involved and their relatives. We offer our cooperation and expertise in the investigation into the exact cause.”

The Airline KLM issued their own statement which repeated much of that of the union, adding: “We receive passengers and employees who have seen this at Schiphol and the circumstances are currently being investigated. For further information – as soon as it is available – we refer to the Royal Military Police.”

The airport itself said: “Today there was a horrible incident where a person ended up in a plane’s engine. Our thoughts go out to the relatives and we care for the passengers and colleagues who witnessed this. The Royal Military Police is currently conducting an investigation.”

Hope for quick answers into how it happened

Nothing has been ruled out regarding the possible cause for this dreadful and tragic incident, and it is hoped that investigators can quickly establish all the facts and make a determination.