Deliberate Engine Death of KLM Cityhopper Employee at Schiphol Airport Confirmed by Police

The Royal Marechaussee (KMar) has confirmed that the death of a man at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) on May 29, 2024, was deliberate. The individual, an employee of a company operating at the airport, died by suicide after being sucked into an aircraft engine.

The tragic incident involved a KLM Cityhopper Embraer E190, registered PH-EZL, which had completed its pushback and was preparing to depart AMS for Billund Airport (BLL) on KLM flight KL1341. The investigation revealed that the man deliberately entered the running engine, and the police have decided not to make further comments to respect the family's privacy.

Following the incident, the aircraft has been out of service. Flightradar24 data indicates that a replacement KLM Cityhopper Embraer E190, registered PH-EZM, was used to operate the route. The affected aircraft had been part of KLM Cityhopper's fleet since January 2010 and had accumulated significant flight hours and cycles.

This incident echoes a similar event in December 2022 in the US, where an Envoy Air Embraer E175 employee was also sucked into an operational engine at Montgomery Regional Airport. Such tragic events highlight the critical importance of safety protocols and mental health awareness in the aviation industry.

KLM Cityhopper, the regional subsidiary of KLM, operates a fleet of 65 Embraer E-jets, including the E175, E190, and E195-E2 models. The airline continues to maintain its operations while ensuring the wellbeing of its employees and passengers.