A witness described a ‘hellish noise’ when a person was killed in a plane’s engine — the 2nd incident of its kind this year

A person died after ending up in a plane’s engine at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Wednesday.

The Embraer E190 operated by KLM was preparing to depart for Billund, Denmark.

“A fatal incident took place at Schiphol today during which a person ended up in a running aircraft engine,” the airline said in a statement. “Sadly, this person has died.”

It added that the incident was under investigation.

“We are currently taking care of the passengers and employees who witnessed the incident,” it continued.

The Dutch Royal Military Police said they were investigating the incident. In a press conference, the police said it was too early to determine whether the incident was a suicide.

It’s also unclear whether the person worked for the airline or the airport or was a passenger.

An employee told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that someone entered the engine after the crew completed safety checks.

They also described a “hellish noise” followed by smoke coming from the plane.

Marjan Rintel, the CEO of KLM, said in a post on X, “Our thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased and all people who witnessed the accident.”

In January, a 30-year-old man died after climbing inside the engine of a Delta Air Lines plane at Salt Lake City airport. Security camera footage showed him trying to open locked doors in the terminal before running across the tarmac.

More often, such incidents involve staff. In June last year, a ground worker was sucked into the engine of a Delta plane and died. And in January last year, an American Airlines employee was “ingested into the engine” of an Embraer E170.