Abolfazl Amiri, an aviation mechanic, was fatally injured in an accident at Chabahar Konarak Airport in southern Iran on July 3, 2024. The incident occurred during routine maintenance on a Boeing 737-500 when Amiri was pulled into the running engine of the aircraft.
Amiri was an employee of Varesh Airlines and was servicing the Boeing 737-500 that had landed from Tehran at 7:15 a.m. A safety zone had been established around the engine, with the cover flaps open for testing. Upon realizing he had left a tool on the engine, Amiri approached to retrieve it and was tragically drawn into the active turbine engine, which subsequently ignited.
Emergency services swiftly arrived on the scene and put out the fire, but could only recover Amiri’s remains. An investigation has been initiated by the Iranian aviation authority to ascertain the cause of the incident. Meanwhile, the aircraft has been temporarily taken out of service for comprehensive inspection.
This incident underscores the perilous nature of working in close proximity to a jet engine, as it is not an isolated occurrence:
In May 2024, another individual lost his life at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport after being drawn into the engine of a KLM Embraer 190 during a pushback procedure. The event was described by passengers and crew as producing a “hellish noise” and a dark smoke trail from the engine. Legal authorities have suggested it was a deliberate suicide attempt.
In June 2023, David Renner, 27, was fatally injured after being drawn into a Delta Airlines plane engine at San Antonio International Airport in Texas. His death was also determined to be a suicide.
In December 2022, on New Year’s Eve, airline worker Courtney Edwards, 34, was fatally injured when she was pulled into an Embraer E175 engine while on the job. This incident emphasized the importance of stringent safety precautions when working near such powerful engines.