The FAA issued a safety alert to airlines on Friday after the death of an airline employee in December and another severe injury. The alert reminds workers to stay clear of operating engines until they are shut down. This comes after a series of near-miss incidents raised questions about U.S. aviation safety.
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The FAA will hold runway safety meetings at 90 airports in the coming weeks. In December, a ramp agent was killed at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama when he was sucked into an engine of an American Airlines regional carrier flight. The flight was operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, and the worker was employed by Piedmont Airlines, another American subsidiary.
Piedmont Airlines was cited for one serious violation in June by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing ground crew workers to ingestion hazards while performing aircraft marshaling, wing-walking, and baggage-handling tasks. Piedmont faces $15,625 in proposed penalties, the maximum allowed by law. The company has contested the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Piedmont said on Friday that its policies and procedures are compliant with FAA requirements and address all concerns outlined in the citation. In another event, a wing walker sustained a serious injury when an aircraft was being repositioned. In mid-December, a Delta Airlines worker was hit by a truck at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport while guiding a plane on the tarmac.