A man died after being sucked into the turbine of a commercial plane in Italy
Air traffic at an Italian airport was disrupted by a fatal accident, after a man was sucked into the turbine of an airplane
A man died on Tuesday after being sucked into the engine of an airplane that was on the ground at Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport, in northern Italy, causing the temporary suspension of operations at the air terminal. Italian authorities have launched an investigation to clarify the events.
The incident occurred around 10:00 local time, when an Airbus A319 of the Spanish low-cost airline Volotea, operating flight V7-3511 to Asturias Airport, Spain, was fully boarded and ready for takeoff.
According to police sources and airport spokespersons cited by agencies such as Reuters and Adnkronos, the man was neither a passenger nor an airport employee. It is believed that he accessed the runway irregularly and, despite being pursued by security personnel, ran directly towards the plane, being sucked into one of the engines as the aircraft taxied on the ground. Volotea confirmed the death in an official statement: "We are investigating the details of the incident that occurred on the ground, following the boarding of 154 passengers and six crew members. One person not involved in the flight suffered fatal injuries related to one of the engines." Passengers safe and operations resumed The airline also reported that all occupants of the aircraft—two pilots and four cabin crew—are unharmed. The flight was canceled and passengers relocated to a new route. In response to the accident, air traffic at the airport was disrupted for more than two hours. During that time, several flights were diverted to alternate terminals, including Milan Malpensa, Bologna, and Verona. The airport resumed operations around noon.
Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport, located about 45 kilometers northeast of Milan, is a key terminal for low-cost airlines operating as an alternative to the city's main airports: Linate and Malpensa.
The identity of the deceased has not yet been revealed, and Italian authorities have not confirmed whether it was an external civilian or someone with a working relationship with the airport.
"We are working closely with security forces to clarify the incident," Volotea said.