An American airliner flying from Dallas to capital Austin, Texas, hit and killed a man on the Austin airport's runway. While the man was killed on the spot, the plane suffered a visible dent on its left engine, showcasing the intensity of collision.
As the Southwest airliner plane landed at an Austin airport, it hit and killed the man. The accident took place on Thursday at 8:22 pm (Local Time) at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Man hit and killed by plane in Texas
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that the pilot reported seeing a person on the runway shortly after the plane touched down. "I believe there might be a person on the runway," the pilot informed Austin's Air Traffic Control tower. On being asked about the man's exact location, the pilot replied, "Well, they...they're behind us, they're behind us now."
"So, you saw them just as you touched down?", ATC asked, to which the pilot answered in an affirmative, CBS Austin reported.
In a statement, the Southwest Airliner said the "aircraft manoeuvred to avoid an individual who became visible on runway, shortly after touchdown". The Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) said its personnel pronounced the person, an adult, dead at the scene.
The plane had 53 passengers and 5 crew-members onboard. None of them was injured. The plane suffered damage on its left engine cowling. A cowling is the outside housing of an engine. Pictures later from the scene showed repair work on aircraft's damaged left engine.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the deceased person was not dressed as an airport worker and did not have an ID, ie, he wasn't authorized to be on the runway. It isn't clear why and how did he get to the runway, that was later closed for further investigation but was reopened on Friday morning.
