Two people were killed and another seriously injured when an aircraft tire reportedly burst at a Delta Air Lines maintenance depot at an airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
The airline announced that two employees were killed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday. American media reports gave the names of the two as Mirko Marweg (58) and Luis Aldarondo (37).
Another Delta employee suffered a serious injury, but his identity and condition have not yet been disclosed.
“This news is heartbreaking for all of us,” Delta said in a statement, adding that the incident occurred in the wheel and brake shop.
Few details are available so far, but the Atlanta-based airline said the accident “involved wheel components that were removed for maintenance and not attached to an aircraft,” adding that the cause was under investigation.
WSB-TV in Atlanta, citing witnesses, reported that the tire was not mounted on a plane but was being prepared for transport. The station said the tire exploded as workers began unloading it, sending a piece of metal “flying across the shop floor and striking workers with deadly force.”
The facility where the explosion occurred is part of Delta TechOps, which performs maintenance and repair work for Delta and more than 150 aviation and airline customers around the world.
Accordingly The New York TimesThe Atlanta Fire Department quoted a witness in its accident report as saying, “I heard an explosion behind me and saw my colleagues running away from the direction of the explosion.”
The plane reportedly arrived from Las Vegas on Sunday.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it had launched an investigation, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was in contact with Delta about the incident.
In a statement on X, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest airport, said its “prayers are with the families affected by this tragic incident.”
Additional reporting by agencies
