Sucked In!

Woman died being sucked into an airplane engine.

The tragic death of a woman being sucked into a plane engine. The woman was decapitated as soon as she went in. It happened in Montgomery, Alabama.

Before I begin, I want to say some things about Alabama. The state had 35% Black population and there is little to no major African American representation in the state.

Montgomery, Birmingham, Greenville, Selma and Anniston are cities where the majority of the population is African American.

The state capital of Alabama surpassed Birmingham as the second largest city. 

Huntsville in the north of the state has a population of 220,000 residents. Montgomery now has a population of 204,000 residents. Birmingham has a population of 194,000. Mobile has a population of 185,000.

Birmingham is still the largest metropolitan area with 1.3 million residents.

An employee killed at the Montgomery Regional Airport on Dec. 31 has been identified as Courtney Edwards, a mother of three, according to the union that represented her.

Edwards was a ground handling agent for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. The Communication Workers of America posted information about Edwards on its website and has set up a Go Fund Me page.

Woman died after jet engine sucked her in.

Richard Honeycutt, vice president of CWA District 3, issued a statement about Edwards.

“The news of this terrible tragedy was heartbreaking,” Honeycutt said. “Courtney was a valued member of her team and our union. She was away from her family working on New Year’s Eve making sure passengers got to where they needed to be for the holidays. She represents the very best of our CWA airport members, who constantly make sacrifices to serve the flying public.

“Her memory will live on in the hearts and minds of her fellow CWA members and those closest to her. Our staff and local leaders are on the ground coordinating with the relevant agencies as the investigation continues. We are doing as much as we can to provide support for her family and loved ones during this most tragic time.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident. The NTSB released a statement on Jan. 1 saying that the death occurred when “a ground support personnel was ingested into the engine.”

Animated scenario shows a person being grinded into an engine.

The “worker was fatally injured on the ramp at Montgomery Regional Airport where American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175, was parked,” the FAA said in an earlier statement to AL.com.

Donielle Prophete, president of CWA Local 3645, set up the fundraising page and said she has been talking with Edwards’ mother. Prophete said the tragedy is difficult and follows another accidental death of a union member at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 2019.

“It’s hard losing two members in a three-year span,” Prophete said. “We’re still trying to get past the shock.”