SALT LAKE CITY — A 30-year-old man was found dead in the engine of a plane at Salt Lake City International Airport Monday night after police said he managed to get onto the tarmac.
The man was later identified by the Salt Lake Police Department as Kyler Efinger of Park City, who had a ticket for a flight to Denver, Colorado.
The investigation began when a branch manager contacted the airport's control center at 9:52 p.m. to report a “disturbance involving a passenger” on the secured side of the terminal, according to Salt Lake police. Details about what business it was and what the passenger was doing were still being investigated.
When officers responded to the call, the man used an emergency exit door to get to the airfield. According to a statement from the Salt Lake City Department of Airports, at 9:54 p.m. the man broke through a security door and ran to the south end of the airport's west runway where de-icing work was being carried out.
At the same time, Delta Flight 2348 from Salt Lake City to San Francisco – an Airbus A220-100 – was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. The flight, with 95 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants on board, was eventually made. According to a statement from Delta Air Lines, the plane had to return to the gate and the flight was canceled due to a person on the tarmac at the de-icing area. The passengers were rebooked on other flights.
“Because nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and employees, Delta will cooperate fully with all aviation and law enforcement investigations,” Delta said in a statement.
At around 10:08 p.m., police and airport employees located the man in the engine of the plane heading to San Francisco. Brent Weisberg, a spokesman for the SLCPD, said it was initially reported that the engines were turned off when the man was located.
It later clarified that officials had immediately asked air traffic controllers to shut down the engines, but Weisberg said the engines were “still rotating, but the specific operating condition of the engine is still under investigation.”
“Based on the officers' training and experience, as well as their observation, they were satisfied that there were some indications that the use of naloxone may have been appropriate,” Weisberg said. “Naloxone is used to reverse and stop the effects of an opiate overdose, and despite administration and other life-saving measures, including CPR, the man died at the scene.”
Weisberg said a medical examiner will complete a full toxicology report to determine the cause of death.
The incident is under investigation and airport officials said they are working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, Salt Lake City police and the Transportation Security Administration.
Later Tuesday afternoon, due to public interest in the events, the SLCPD issued a statement providing further details and a timeline:
At 9:56 p.m., dispatchers told SLCPD officers that the man had passed through an emergency exit in the terminal. SLCPD officers headed to the man's last known location, arriving about a minute later and beginning to check the area on foot.
At 9:57 p.m., dispatchers provided SLCPD officers with a description of the man's clothing.
At 9:59 p.m., SLCPD officers said they had checked the man's last known location but were unable to locate him. SLCPD officers continued their search.
At 10:02 p.m., dispatchers provided updated information on the man's whereabouts.
At 10:03 p.m., dispatchers notified SLCPD officers of the man's identity based on preliminary information from airport officials.
At 10:04 p.m., SLCPD officers received information from airport officials that a pilot reported seeing the man.
At 10:05 p.m., SLCPD officers requested notification of the FAA air traffic control tower of the incident.
At 10:06 p.m., SLCPD officers and airport operations located personal items, including clothing and shoes, on one of the airport's runways.
At 10:07 p.m., dispatchers told SLCPD officers that the man was at one of the airport's de-icing pads.
At 10:08 p.m., dispatchers told SLCPD officers that the man was under an aircraft and had access to the engine. SLCPD officers requested FAA air traffic controllers to notify the pilot to shut down the aircraft's engines.
At 10:08 p.m., SLCPD officers arrived and found the man partially unconscious in a wing engine of an occupied airliner on the de-icing platform. The plane's engines spun. The specific phase of engine operation is still under investigation.
At 10:09 p.m., SLCPD officers and airport operations pulled the man from the engine intake cowl, secured the scene, began life-saving measures, and requested emergency medical services.
At 10:15 p.m., life-saving measures, including CPR and the administration of naloxone, continued.
Despite rescue efforts, the man died at the scene of the accident.
Police said no further information is expected to be released pending an autopsy.
Contribute: Pat Reavy, KSL.com