Two employees have been killed and one other significantly injured Tuesday in a tire explosion at a Delta Air Strains upkeep facility close to Atlanta’s airport.
Delta stated the explosion occurred whereas wheel parts have been being disassembled for upkeep at a wheel and brake store. The elements weren’t put in on the airplane on the time, the airline stated.
The federal Occupational Security and Well being Administration stated it has opened an investigation. Delta stated it was working with authorities and that the reason for the explosion has not been disclosed.
A number of Atlanta fireplace and police models responded to the upkeep hangar close to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport shortly after 5 a.m., The Atlanta Journal-Structure reported. The airport stated flights weren’t affected and Delta stated its upkeep operations weren’t impacted.
“The Delta household is heartbroken over the lack of two staff members and the damage of one other following an incident that occurred this morning on the Technical Operations and Upkeep facility in Atlanta,” Delta stated in a press release. “We have now supplied our full assist to the relations and colleagues throughout this extremely troublesome time.”
Delta thanked emergency and medical crews and stated the injured employee remained in medical care as of Tuesday afternoon.
“We are actually working with native authorities and conducting a full investigation to find out what occurred,” the Atlanta-based airline stated.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated it was involved with Delta, however the FAA referred the airline a request for added details about the obvious crash. Eric Lucero, a spokesman for OSHA, stated the federal office security company had launched an investigation.
The ability the place the explosion occurred is a part of Delta TechOps, which performs upkeep, restore and overhaul work for Delta and greater than 150 aviation and airline prospects world wide.
TechOps president and Delta Government Vice President John Laughter stated in a memo to workers that the airline will make counselors out there to staff.
“We’re all on this collectively and we’ll get via this by supporting one another,” he stated.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens posted on X to supply his condolences to the households of the victims.
The Worldwide Affiliation of Machinists and Aerospace Staff, which is attempting to prepare 20,000 floor employees at Delta, a largely non-union firm, referred to as on the airline and authorities “to shortly launch an intensive investigation into how this occurred.”
