A man has died after being sucked into the engine of an airplane destined for Spain.
The 35-year-old is said to have run onto the runway at Milan Bergamo-Orio al Serio airport in Italy at around 10.20am on Tuesday.
The flight, bound for Asturias in northern Spain, was halted immediately, and operations at the airport were suspended for roughly two hours.
The aircraft involved – a Volotea Airbus A319 – was performing routine manoeuvres before departure when the incident occurred.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts, passengers onboard heard a loud noise and were told not to look outside the windows.
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‘Suddenly, we heard a noise and a bang,’ one Spanish passenger told La Nueva España.
‘Some people saw something through the window and put their hands to their heads. They told us it was best not to look out, because what was happening was very unpleasant.’
The woman, from Llanera in Asturias, described how the plane had just repositioned on an auxiliary runway and was taxiing slowly toward the takeoff strip when the incident took place.
‘We don’t know exactly what happened,’ she said.
Moments later, the pilot addressed the passengers, informing them that there had been a ‘very serious problem involving a person.’ His voice, she said, sounded ‘shaken.’
Volotea acted swiftly to evacuate the passengers. Travellers were escorted to a lounge inside the terminal while arrangements were made to resume the flight. A new departure time of 3.55pm was given.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the identity of the deceased. Investigators are working to determine how the man accessed the runway, and why.
At this stage, there is no suggestion of foul play, and early indications suggest the pilot could not have prevented the fatality.
Volotea confirmed the incident in a brief statement, saying: ‘We are investigating reports of an incident involving our flight V73511 BGY-OVD, which occurred on the ground after boarding was completed and ready for departure.’
The airline, which operates regular routes between Milan and Asturias – where it also has a base – has not issued further details pending the outcome of the investigation.
Read more Spain news at the Spanish Eye.
