Amsterdam airport employee ‘deliberately climbed into jet engine’ police say after horrific death – World News

A man who died at Amsterdam airport is believed to have deliberately climbed into the engine of a plane, Dutch police have revealed.

The individual, who has been identified as an employee, allegedly boarded a KLM Cityhopper Embraer E190 jet engine, which was preparing to take off from Schiphol Airport. Passengers and crew members reportedly witnessed the tragic death before emergency services rushed to the scene.

The incident happened while the KLM plane was being pushed from the stand in preparation for departure to Denmark. Witnesses said there was a “hell-like noise” as the person was sucked up by the jet’s turbine. Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, one person said: “Many people saw it happen.”

The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, which is leading the investigation, said: “The deceased man has been identified as an employee of a company operating at the airport. The investigation revealed that he deliberately climbed into the engine, indicating that it was a suicide. Out of respect for the victim and their loved ones, we will not make any further statements.”

Pictures from the scene showed the KLM plane surrounded by fire engines and ambulances as emergency services rushed to the runway.

The plane, which can carry up to 104 passengers, was scheduled to depart for Billund, Denmark at 2:25 p.m. The crew had just finished delivering safety instructions to passengers on the plane, but after the horrific incident, more than 80 people were removed from the plane and interviewed by military police.

Some of the passengers, who watched the moment unfold, were considered “important witnesses”, said the Dutch newspaper AD. A police spokesman said: “They may be able to help us with the investigation.” Psychological support was offered to those who may have been traumatized by what they had witnessed.

A replacement flight to the Danish city of Billund was arranged and took off last night around 9.30 pm. A spokesman said it was being flown by a different crew because the tragic incident had a “major impact” on previous staff. KLM said in a statement: “We are currently looking after the passengers and employees who witnessed the incident at Schiphol. The circumstances are currently under investigation.”

The pilots’ union VNV said: “Our first concern and thoughts are with their relatives involved. We offer our cooperation and expertise in investigating the exact cause.”

The airline company KLM said in a statement yesterday: “Today there was a terrible incident at Schiphol in which a person ended up in a burning aircraft engine. Unfortunately, the person died. We are welcoming passengers and employees who saw this at Schiphol. The circumstances are currently being investigated. For further information – as soon as it becomes available – we are contacting the Royal Military Police.”

On the day of the incident, a statement released by Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) read: “Today there was a terrible incident in which a person ended up in the engine of a plane. Our thoughts are with the relatives and we worry about the passengers and colleagues who witnessed this. The Royal Military Police are currently investigating.

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