Piedmont Airlines, the regional subsidiary of American Airlines, was hit with a $15,625 fine after a 34-year-old employee tragically died after being sucked into a plane engine.
Courtney Edwards died in December last year after she was ‘ingested’ into the engine of the plane at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama.
According to the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the mother was on the ramp where American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175, was parked when the incident occurred.
It was also found by the NTSB that employees at the Montgomery airport held two safety briefings before the accident.
Workers were told that they should not approach the plane until the engine and the beacon light were both turned off.
But when the pilot landed the aircraft, there was a warning that the front cargo door was being opened just as he was about to shut down the right engine.
Surveillance footage showed the mother-of-three walking toward the rear of the plane while holding an range safety cone.
In the clip, Edwards disappeared from view and the accident happened.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration issued a $15,625 fine against Piedmont Airlines.
The Communication Workers of America, Edwards’ union, also released a statement saying that the OSHA found that the airline was at fault for ‘lack of effective training, clear and unambiguous communication on the ramp, and clear instructions from supervisors as to when it is safe to approach an aircraft.’
The president of the CWA setup a GoFundMe page to help the late employee’s three children, and it has received more than $120,000.
“Courtney was a Ground Handling agent for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, a loving mother of 3 kids and a wonderful daughter to her beloved mother, Natalie English of Montgomery, Alabama,” it read.
“Please know that this tragedy has and will affect her mother, family, friends, and kids for years to come.”
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