American Airlines ground crew worker killed after being ‘ingested into the engine’ of a plane at Alabama airport

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A member of an airline ground crew working at an Alabama airport died Saturday afternoon in an accident at the facility.

The American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines employee died in an “industrial accident” around 3 p.m., Montgomery Regional Airport said in a statement. 

In its own statement released following an investigation into the matter, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the worker was “ingested into the engine” of an aircraft while at the gate, with its parking brake set.

The accident took place shortly before a flight operated by regional carrier Envoy Air was scheduled to depart from Montgomery Regional Airport for Dallas-Fort Worth, according to the flight tacking site FlightAware.com.

All inbound and outbound flights to the airport were grounded for more than four hours Saturday afternoon, but normal operations resumed at 8:30 p.m.

“We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of a team member of the AA/Piedmont Airlines,” Montgomery Regional Airport Executive Director Wade Davis said in the statement.

“We are devastated by the accident involving a team member of Piedmont Airlines, an American Airlines regional carrier, at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM),” American Airlines said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and our local team members. We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time.”

CNN contributed to this report.