In a recent incident at the Salt Lake City International Airport, a 30-year-old man was discovered deceased inside an aircraft engine. The Salt Lake Police Department identified the individual as Kyler Efinger from Park City. Efinger, who held a ticket for a Denver-bound flight, was involved in an incident that began unfolding Monday night.
The series of events started when a store manager alerted the airport’s control center at 9:52 p.m. about a “disturbance involving a passenger” in a secure area of the terminal. The nature of the disturbance and the store’s identity are still under investigation.
Security Breach and Access to Restricted Airfield Area
Responding to the situation, Efinger accessed the airfield through an emergency exit door. He breached a security door at 9:54 p.m. and proceeded to the airport’s west runway’s south end, where de-icing operations were in progress.
At this time, Delta flight 2348, an Airbus A220-100 headed for San Francisco, was set to depart. The flight, initially scheduled for 9:30 p.m., carried 95 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants. The presence of an individual on the tarmac at the de-ice pad led to the flight’s return to the gate and subsequent cancellation. Delta Air Lines stated, “As nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and people, Delta is fully cooperating with all aviation authority and law enforcement investigations.” Affected passengers were rebooked on other flights.
Ongoing Investigations by Multiple Aviation and Law Enforcement Agencies
At approximately 10:08 p.m., the man was found inside the engine of the plane bound for San Francisco. Brent Weisberg, a spokesman for the Salt Lake City Police Department, clarified that while it was initially reported the engines were off when the man was located, the engines “were still rotating, but the specific stage of the engine’s operation remains under investigation.”
Police and medical responders administered naloxone, suspecting an opiate overdose. Weisberg explained, “Based on the officers’ training and experience and their observation, they did believe that there had been some indicators that the use of naloxone may have been appropriate.” Despite these efforts, Efinger was pronounced dead at the scene. A full toxicology report will be conducted by the medical examiner to ascertain the cause of death.
The incident is currently under investigation by various agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, Salt Lake City Police, and Transportation Security Administration. The airport authorities are actively cooperating in the investigation to uncover further details of this tragic occurrence.