Worker Drove Tug Under Parked Plane's Wing

A ground worker at Naples Municipal Airport (APF) in Florida was killed Wednesday night, when he accidentally drove an airport tug under the wing of a parked aircraft, and was pinned between the wing and the ground vehicle.

The Naples Daily News reports the unidentified 46-year-old man had started working at the airport two months before.

"He was still in training," said Naples Airport Authority spokeswoman. "He was a Tech-One, but he was doing the task that he had been signed off for doing... He was working with a Tech-3. He was still being supervised."

Officials say the collision caused a cut on his arm, and internal injuries. He was conscious afterward, and talked with coworkers before he was airlifted to an area hospital. He went into cardiac arrest on the medevac flight, and later died.

The accident cast a pall over operations at the airport, where workers had celebrated the facility's busiest day ever. In addition to extra recreational traffic due to the upcoming President's Day weekend, the airport also hosted several additional corporate aircraft due to a meeting of Fortune 500 CEOs in Naples.

"Everybody's spirits were high, everything came off without a hitch. Everyone was in a great mood and to have something like this happen late in the day like that, everyone is simply shocked," said Foster.

It is the first fatal accident at the Naples airport. The NTSB is investigating.

FMI: www.flynaples.com