Airline worker killed after being sucked into plane engine

An airline worker who was killed after being sucked into a plane engine on New Year's Eve has now been identified.

The incident took place at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama at around 3:00 PM on December 31, as reported by Sky News.

American Airlines Flight 3408 had arrived at the airport from Dallas and was stationary at the gate with the brakes set, but the engines still running.

The worker for Piedmont Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines, was then sucked into the plane's engine in what was a fatal accident.

Shortly after the tragedy, the airport made the following statement: "Today [December 31] around 3 pm an American Airlines ground crew piedmont employee was involved in a fatality, no additional information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased."

The person in question has since been identified as mother-of-three Courtney Edwards, who was working as a ground handling agent at the time.

A GoFundMe page was set up in order to offer financial security to her children, and the page states: "Please know that this tragedy has and will affect her mother, family, friends, and kids for years to come."

The fundraiser has raised over $102,000 at the time of writing. Credit: GoFundMe

A preliminary report published by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), via People, revealed that the airport had held two safety briefings around 10 minutes before the American Airlines flight arrived at the gate.

After the plane had become stationary, the pilot reportedly received an alarm that the front cargo door had been opened while the engines were still running.

Per the report, the flight's first officer informed the baggage handler that the engines were still running, but moments later the fatal accident occurred.

Richard Honeycutt, vice president of Communication Workers of America District 3 issued a statement about the incident on the union's website.

"Courtney was a valued member of her team and our union. She was away from her family working on New Year's Eve making sure passengers got to where they needed to be for the holidays," part of the statement read.

"She represents the very best of our CWA airport members, who constantly make sacrifices to serve the flying public. Our staff and local leaders are on the ground coordinating with the relevant agencies as the investigation continues. We are doing as much as we can to provide support for her family and loved ones during this most tragic time."

Our thoughts are with Courtney's family and friends at this time.

Featured image credit: B Christopher / Alamy