Tragedy at Bergamo Airport: Man Jumps into Plane Engine, Dies Instantly

Kokcha News Agency: A man without a ticket managed to breach a restricted area at Bergamo Airport in Italy and jumped into the engine of a passenger plane preparing for takeoff. The incident occurred as the Airbus A319, operated by Volotea Airlines, was preparing to depart from Milan to Asturias.

Two police officers attempted to stop the man, but he broke free and ran onto the apron, where he jumped into one of the plane’s two turbofan engines. Witnesses described the horrifying scene, with one Spanish passenger saying, “We suddenly heard a noise and an explosion.”

The cabin crew warned passengers not to look outside, saying, “Something is happening that you don’t want to see.” Another passenger recounted that the plane was slowly moving toward the runway when the tragedy occurred.

The captain later addressed the shaken passengers, informing them that a “very serious incident” had taken place.

Investigation and Background
Police, forensic experts, and a prosecutor from the Bergamo Public Prosecutor’s Office were dispatched to the scene. Police sources revealed that the man had a history of drug use.

A witness who was boarding another plane nearby described the scene: “I saw everything. A staff member tried to stop him, but he ran to the right and then was sucked into the left engine. It was not a pleasant sight.”

Airline Response and Flight Disruptions
The plane’s engines were reportedly running at approximately 15,000 revolutions per minute when the incident occurred. Volotea Airlines issued a statement on social media platform X, confirming that the man was not a passenger and had no connection to the airline.

“Flight V73511 from Bergamo to Oviedo was involved in an incident at Bergamo Airport at 10:35 a.m. A person not on board and not connected to our company was seriously injured. All 154 passengers and 6 crew members are safe. A new flight has been scheduled for 3:55 p.m.,” the statement read.

Flight Delays and Diversions
Bergamo Airport, one of Italy’s busiest, experienced significant disruptions following the incident. Several flights scheduled to land in Bergamo were diverted to other cities, including Bologna, Verona, and Milan’s Malpensa Airport. Eight departing flights were canceled, and flight operations were temporarily suspended before resuming later in the day.