Air India technician badly mutilated after getting 'sucked into aircraft engine'

An Air India technician was killed in a freak accident after he was sucked into an aircraft engine at Mumbai airport on Wednesday evening (Dec 16).

The accident happened when the Airbus A319 aircraft was reversing out from the parking bay by a towing van before its take-off to Hyderabad.

According to Times Of India, the engineer, identified as Ravi Subramanium, was supervising the operations when he got sucked in.

Citing airline sources, Time of India said that the incident may have occurred when the pilot was starting the engine, unaware that Subramanium was in the vicinity.

Around 100 passengers on the AI flight 619 were reported to be traumatised by the incident which happened at 8.30pm.

"We are deeply saddened and regret the tragic incident at BOM airport yesterday evening when an AI technician died in a mishap during pushback of flight AI 619," Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run carrier Air India Ashwani Lohani said in a Facebook post.

"The incident is being investigated. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."

grongloh@sph.com.sg