American Airlines subsidiary faces $15,000 fine after an airline employee died while she was so violently “ingested” into the engine of a landing plane that it shook the whole plane.

OSHA’s findings come into direct conflict with the National Transport Safety Board’s initial report which largely blamed Edwards, stating that she was killed after getting too close to the engine of an Embraer E175 plane operated by American Eagle. .

The tragedy happened on New Year’s Eve at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama. The victim was later identified as Courtney Edwards, 34, who worked as a ground agent for Piedmont Airlines.

An association of safety and risks at work report imposes on Piedmont an initial fine of $15,625, the maximum provided for by law.

They claimed the airline had failed to provide “a workplace free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical injury to employees exposed to ingestion and jet blast hazards.”

American Airlines grantee faces $15,000 fine after airline employee Courtney Edwards died when she was so violently ‘ingested’ into the engine of a landing plane that she shook the whole plane

OSHA also accuses Piedmont of lacking effective training, a lack of effective communication and unclear instructions from supervisors, all contributing to Edwards’ “preventable” death.

Edwards’ Communications Workers of America union said in a statement that “It is likely that Piedmont will challenge the decision, but CWA will continue to fight for Courtney Edwards, her family and the safety of all company workers.” airlines, who should never fear for their lives at work.

The airline has 15 working days to comply or contest the fine, which was officially issued on June 7.

“Safety is always our top priority for our team members,” said Crystal Byrd, spokesperson for Piedmont Airlines. Dallas Morning News.

“We appreciate OSHA’s recommendations and will ensure a thorough review is carried out.”

The initial report, however, notes that Edwards ignored several warnings to stay clear of the engines as the plane came to a stop.

The 59 passengers on board the flight from Dallas and the four crew members were not injured.

Edwards is survived by his three children and his mother, according to a GoFundMe page which was set up to help his family financially. As of this writing, the campaign has raised nearly $120,000.

Edwards worked as a ground agent for Piedmont Airlines

An obituary for Edwards mentions that she is survived by her three children

A report by the Occupational Safety and Hazard Association imposes an initial fine on Piedmont – a subsidiary of American Airlines – of $15,625, the maximum under the law, in direct conflict with an NTSB report

The report says surveillance video shows a breach of protocol in which Edwards failed to keep a safe distance until the plane’s flashing light went off.

According to the report, upon landing, the captain began the process of shutting down the engines before receiving a warning that the aircraft’s forward cargo door was open.

The co-pilot alerted the ground workers to let them know that the engines were still running.

A section of the report reads: “Immediately afterwards he saw a warning light illuminate and the aircraft shook violently, followed by the immediate automatic shutdown of engine number 1.

“Unsure of what had happened, he turned off the emergency lights and shut off both batteries before leaving the cockpit to investigate.”

The report says there is video that shows Edwards walking past the first engine on the left of the plane. It reads: “She was then pulled off her feet and into the running engine.”

One of Edwards’ colleagues told investigators he saw her ‘almost fall out of the engine exhaust as he tried to warn her to stay back and wait for the engines to shut down “.

A section of the GoFundMe page reads: ‘Know that this tragedy has and will affect his mother, family, friends and children for years to come’

Following the crash, Montgomery Regional Airport was closed

The report cites American Eagle’s ground operations manual which tells workers not to approach the front of a running jet engine and to maintain a safe distance of at least 15 feet, known as the “ingestion zone”.

Another said he tried to warn her that the engine was still on and when he was doing it, he heard a ‘bang’.

The ground crew said they had two safety meetings before the plane landed and all members knew the engines would stay on until ground power was connected because the plane was not has no auxiliary power supply.

A crew member said it was “discussed that the aircraft should not be approached”.

The report says surveillance video shows a breach of protocol in which Edwards failed to keep a safe distance until the plane’s flashing light went off.

It reads: “Throughout the crash, the aircraft’s overhead beacon appeared to be on.”

The manual says, “Jet engines run at a powerful speed and are extremely dangerous until slowed down. The area in front of the engine is called the ingestion zone. The ingestion zone for all types of aircraft is 15 feet. You should never enter the ingestion zone until the engine has slowed down.

It is unclear when the full and final report will be released.

Speaking about Edwards’ death, a colleague Divonta Palmer said WSFA: “I can’t understand how this happened. She would tell me that she has always been dedicated and driven to do the best job and put the best foot forward.

Palmer also said the incident should act as a wake-up call to ground crews when it comes to safety.

The GoFundMe page was created for Edwards by local union representative, Donielle Prophete. On the fundraising page, Prophete wrote, “Know that this tragedy has and will affect his mother, family, friends and children for years to come.”

Edwards was from the town of Niceville, Florida, near the border with Alabama. She moved to Alabama in 2013.

According popular mechanics, there have been 33 reports of people being ingested by Boeing engines over the past forty years. The website called death by ingestion “rare” but not “unprecedented”.