A tragic incident at Milan Bergamo Airport has left a community in mourning after a man lost his life in a horrifying accident involving a plane engine.

Drove the wrong way
On Tuesday, July 8, a 35-year-old man was fatally injured after reportedly entering a restricted area of the airport and being pulled into the turbofan engine of a Volotea Airbus A319 that was preparing for takeoff to Asturias, Spain.

Italian media has identified the man as Andrea Russo, a 35-year-old builder from Calcinate in the Bergamo region of Lombardy.

According to reports from Metro, Russo was a recovering addict who had been working to turn his life around. Authorities confirmed that he was not a registered passenger or employee at the time of the incident.

A witness told local media: “At first he threw himself against the casings — the protections of the right engine of the plane.

“Then he went around and either threw himself or was sucked into the propeller of the left engine.

“We were trying to go up the stairs and we saw everything.”

Preliminary investigations suggest that Russo drove the wrong way down an access road near the airport before abandoning his car and entering the terminal building. Once inside, he reportedly forced open a secure door on the ground floor of the arrivals area, gaining access to the tarmac where aircraft were stationed.

Russo then ran toward the Airbus A319. Despite the presence of airport officers, he could not be stopped in time. He was killed instantly after being sucked into one of the aircraft’s engines, according to UniLAD.

The incident occurred on the taxiway as the aircraft was preparing for departure. The airport’s operator, SACBO, has confirmed that the event is now under police investigation.

Giovanni Sanga, President of SACBO, expressed his sorrow over the incident:

“Today’s tragic event has deeply shaken the entire airport community. First and foremost, I extend my personal condolences and those of the company to the victim’s family. Our thoughts are with them in this unimaginable moment.

He added: “In addition to managing the emergency and supporting passengers and crew, we are also focused on providing assistance to the airport staff who witnessed the event and have been deeply affected.”

”The airline deeply regrets this tragic event”
Volotea Airlines also issued a statement confirming the incident and offering condolences: “A person, who was not a passenger or airport personnel, trespassed onto the runway while the aircraft was preparing for takeoff. Sadly, the individual was fatally injured by the engine.”

They continued: “The airline deeply regrets this tragic event and extends its condolences to the family. We are grateful to our crew for their immediate response and to our passengers for their cooperation during this extremely difficult time. The safety and well-being of our passengers, crew, and airport partners remains our top priority.”

All airport traffic at Milan Bergamo was temporarily suspended until midday as emergency services responded to the scene. Flights were delayed, cancelled, or diverted during the disruption, the New York Times reported.

The Lombardy Airports Association posted on social media: “Traffic to and from #orio #Bgy is suspended due to a serious issue on the apron. Possible delays, diversions, and cancellations throughout the morning. Updates will follow.”

Authorities continue to investigate the breach in airport security and the exact sequence of events that led to this devastating incident.