A determination was made in the death of a Texas airport worker “ingested” into an engine last week that left the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) declining to investigate.
Delta Airlines Flight 1111 had landed at San Antonio International Airport Friday and was arriving at its gate around 10:30 p.m. when an employee stepped in front of the single-engine being used to taxi.
An examination of the victim, identified as 27-year-old David Renner by the Bexar County Medical Examiner found that he had died from blunt and sharp-force injuries after he intentionally placed himself in the path of the Airbus A319 to commit suicide.
“This isn’t the first time David has tried something like this from my knowledge,” his brother Joshua Renner told the Daily Mail. “There were other times. This time I thought it was different.”
“The reason I say that is because he was almost five months clean and living every day to the fullest…there was zero indication this time,” he explained as he recalled his older brother’s personality and tendency to try to make people laugh with “one joke a day.”
“David had been clean for over eight months, was in therapy, [was] actively taking his prescribed medication and had finally became the David we all knew he could be,” the brother added.
Upon learning the death had been ruled a suicide, the NTSB, which had described the initial accident by stating Renner had been “ingested” into the engine, declined to further review the incident.
“The NTSB will not be opening an investigation into this event. There were no operational safety issues with either the airplane or the airport,” a spokesperson said.
In its own statement, Unifi Aviation which employed Renner to perform ground services at the airport said, “Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased and we remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground.”
Additionally, a spokesperson had noted, “From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” and went on to express that the company was “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident.”
Similarly, Delta expressed their condolences and stated, “We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio. Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
According to the Associated Press, on Dec. 31 in Montgomery, Alabama, an airport worker had died after she was accidentally pulled into the engine of a Piedmont Airlines plane. The subsidiary of American Airlines has since contested a civil penalty of $15,625 after the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration asserted the airline was at fault for letting ground workers get too close to the jet engines.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for those in crisis or distress or for anyone looking to help another individual. It is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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