A Texas airport worker was killed after being “ingested” into the engine of a Delta Air Lines jet, airport officials confirmed. 

Emergency crews responded at San Antonio International Airport on Friday night after a ground crew member was sucked into the aircraft’s engine, which had just arrived from Los Angeles. The plane was reportedly taxying to its gate when the incident occurred, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“An accident occurred on the ground at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) tonight that resulted in the fatality of an airline ground crew member,” the airport said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this incident and are working with authorities as they begin their investigation. We will share more information as details become available.”

The victim, who hasn’t been identified, was employed by Unfi Aviation, a ground handling and aviation services company based out of Atlanta and contracted by Delta. The company said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of our employee” in the “tragic” accident. 

“Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased, and we remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground and ensuring they are being taken care of during this time,” Unfi added. 

NTSB officials confirmed on Saturday that the worker was “ingested” into the jet engine and said they were in contact with Delta investigating the accident. Unfi Aviation says the death was no fault of their policies or operations. 

“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” the company said. “Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information. While police and other officials continue to investigate this incident, we defer to them on providing further details.”

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According to data from FlightAware, the airplane involved was Delta flight 1111, an Airbus A319 aircraft with 132 passenger seats.

On New Year’s Eve, Courtney Edwards, a mother of three, was sucked into an American Airlines jet engine at Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama. Edwards worked for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Piedmont $15,625 in June after the agency found the airline company was at fault. 

Incidents like these are extremely rare. Powerful fans and compressors “suck” air through jet engines, and during takeoff, 1.2 tons of air per second can be taken in, according to Stanford University. 

American spy agencies knew last week that the Wagner Group in Russia was planning to take military action against Moscow, according to a report from The Washington Post. 

It’s unclear exactly when the agencies became aware of the plans, but senior officials in the Biden administration, Pentagon, Department of State, and Congress had been briefed within the past two weeks on the plans for imminent military action against defense officials in Moscow, the Post reports. On Friday, the Wagner Group, headed by mercenary warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, began its March toward the Russian capital. 

“There were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up,” one American official told the Post. “So I think they were ready for it.”

The source said the administration and U.S. officials expressed “high concern” over what an uprising, instability, and potential change of leadership in Russia would mean for global stability, given the country is nuclear-armed. “There were lots of questions along those lines,” the official added. A potential “civil war” resulting from the uprising was the biggest concern for American officials, the Post reports.

The reports of American intelligence having known of the planned mutiny prior to the group’s march on Moscow — in which they got within 120 miles — parallel intelligence being reported before Russia invaded Ukraine, warning of the invasion. In that case, the intelligence was declassified and reported in an attempt to deter Putin from going through with the February 2022 invasion. 

However, the reports that American intelligence knew of the Wagner Group’s planned uprising beforehand didn’t go public until the group had stopped its march and a deal had been brokered. This, according to the New York Times, is because reports of declassified intelligence on the matter could give Putin fuel to accuse the group of attempting a coup before any movements had occurred. Additionally, officials didn’t want to aid Putin in deterring the uprising and the “embarrassing” challenge of support, as the Times reports. 

The breaking point for Prigozhin was a Russian Defense Ministry order sent on June 10 that ordered all volunteer detachments to sign contracts with the Russian government, according to the Post. This order, which didn’t specifically mention Wagner, angered Prigozhin because of the critical role the mercenary group played in the war in Ukraine. 

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Prigozhin had publicly expressed his thoughts on the June 10 order, and Ukrainian officials had been monitoring the leader following the directive, believing he and Wagner would move against Russian defense officials. American officials believed Prigozhin had been planning a challenge to Russia’s military leadership for a while but were surprised by how quickly it escalated, according to a CNN report.  

“Tensions between the Wagner Group and the Russian Ministry of Defense are no secret,” a senior Biden official told the Post. “We have all seen Mr. Prigozhin publicly criticize, warn, and even threaten the Russian military on any number of occasions.”

The Wagner Group got within 120 miles of Moscow before a deal was brokered by Belurusan President Alexander Lukashenko, which dropped any criminal charges against Prigozhin, halted the movement to Moscow, and exiled the Wagner leader to Belarus. 

“If Prigozhin intended to drive a wedge between the command of Russian Federation Armed Forces and the Kremlin he failed,” a senior Western official told the Post.