Ground crew worker killed after being "ingested" into plane engine at Montgomery, Alabama, airport

Montogmery, Ala. — A member of an airline ground crew working at an Alabama airport died Saturday afternoon in an accident at the facility.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement that a member of ground support personnel was "ingested into the engine" of an aircraft while it was parked at the gate with the parking brake set. The NTSB said Sunday that it has opened an investigation into the incident.

Montgomery Regional Airport said in a statement that an American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines employee died in an "industrial accident" around 3 p.m.