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Man Climbs Into Plane Engine, Dies

A man was discovered dead inside an airplane’s engine at the Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah, United States, on Monday night. The police said the man ran past an emergency door onto the tarmac and crawled inside the Delta Airlines jet’s engine. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. when a store manager inside the terminal reported a disturbance, claiming that a passenger was acting strangely and running outside. The officers of the Salt Lake City police department, Airport Operations, and a pilot started looking for the man, identified as 30-year-old Kyler Efinger. After about 10 minutes of searching, the airport dispatchers informed them that the man had accessed one of the planes at the airport’s outdoor ramp area.

The officer’s search was concentrated where the planes were de-iced and prepared to take off. They found personal items on one of the runways, including clothes and shoes. Then, the pilot spotted Efinger, who was unconscious and partially inside one of the jet’s wing-mounted engines.

According to the police department, the man could force his way into the aircraft as it was parked atop a de-icing pad. The aircraft was flying to San Francisco with passengers aboard. The engine’s intake cowling, which directs airflow to the fan section, was open at Efinger’s discovery. Police said they pulled the man out of the cowling and tried to revive him using life-saving efforts like CPR and naloxone, but he died on the spot.

The investigation into the death is underway by multiple agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Salt Lake City police. An autopsy and toxicology report are also expected to be done by the medical examiner’s office.

Salt Lake City police department spokesperson Brent Weisberg told CNN that the man’s actions were bizarre and “not typical of someone traveling on a commercial airliner.” He added that authorities are unsure what caused the man to behave this way.

A spokesman for Airport Operations told CNN that they are working with the police to investigate the incident. The spokesman said the incident did not affect flight operations, but he wanted to provide further information once the police completed their investigation.

The Salt Lake City police department said in a news release that the man was Kyler Efinger of Park City, Utah. He had a boarding pass for a flight to Denver. The cause of his death is still under investigation. An autopsy and toxicology report is expected to be conducted by the medical examiner’s office. The police said in the news release that a statement from the family is expected soon. The department is working with the medical examiner’s office to confirm his name and notify his next of kin.

Claire Jimmy

She is a part-time digital marketing consultant, part-time travel blogger, and full-time dreamer. He has three passions in life: Social Media, Travel and blogging. She has won many more blog awards and received many nominations as well. The creative blog writer with many years of experience.