Death of Delta Airlines worker who was sucked into engine at San Antonio airport ruled a suicide

The recent death of a ground worker at the San Antonio International Airport on Friday who lost his life after being sucked into a Delta Air Lines plane engine has been ruled as a suicide, according to the local medical examiner's office. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees safety procedures surrounding aviation, has said it will be launching a probe into the matter.

David Renner, 27, died of blunt and sharp-force injuries, according to the Bexar County medical examiner's office, who listed the death as suicide, AP reports.



Renner, who was an employee of Unifi Aviation, was on the tarmac when a Delta Air Lines plane arriving from Los Angeles pulled into the terminal. The incident occurred shortly after, according to the FAA.

While Renner was ultimately employed by Unifi Aviation, he was working with Delta Air Lines at the time of his death. Delta Air Lines hires ground workers from Unifi Aviation.

A spokesperson from Unifi Aviation denied operational fault and said, "From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies."

The spokesperson added that the company was "deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident."

Delta Air Lines and Unifi Aviation are both based in Atlanta, Georgia. Unifi Aviation is the largest ground-handling and aviation-services provider in North America, according to its website.
 

Delta said in a statement following the incident that the company is "grieving the loss of an aviation family member’s life in San Antonio."

Renner's death follows a similar incident that occurred in Montgomery, Alabama in December, when an airport worker died after she was pulled into the engine. That death was not determined to be a suicide, and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a $15,625 penalty to American Airlines subsidiary Piedmont Airlines for letting ground workers get too close to running jet engines, according to the outlet.