What happened
A ground crew member suffered fatal injuries after entering the danger zone of an operating aircraft engine. The incident occurred while the individual was disconnecting a ground power unit (GPU) cable from the right engine nacelle. Although standard operating procedures for this facility dictate that personnel must approach and depart the nacelle area exclusively from the rear, the worker initially followed this protocol but subsequently moved forward into the propeller arc after completing the disconnection.
The investigation
Investigative interviews with the pilot revealed that the ground crew member had successfully performed GPU disconnect procedures on this specific aircraft multiple times prior to the incident without issue. However, toxicological analysis of biological samples collected from the worker yielded significant findings. Urine tests detected carboxy THC levels exceeding 50 ng/ml, a concentration typically associated with very recent marijuana use. Furthermore, blood samples confirmed the presence of metabolites for both cocaine and marijuana.