A disturbing incident unfolded at Salt Lake City International Airport earlier this month when a man was discovered dead inside a plane engine. The man, identified as Kyler Efinger, 30, was caught on security footage attempting to open secured doors in the airport before making his way towards a taxiing plane on the tarmac. Tragically, Efinger was found unconscious inside a wing-mounted engine of a commercial aircraft on the airport’s deicing pad and was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to police, the aircraft’s engines were not running at the time of the incident. The events leading up to Efinger’s discovery began when a store manager inside the airport reported a disturbance involving a passenger on the secured side of the terminal. It was later determined that Efinger had exited through an emergency exit door and gained access to the airport’s ramp area.
Security footage obtained by FOX13 Salt Lake City shows Efinger’s erratic behavior as he ran around the airport. In one instance, he can be seen attempting to open a door from the terminal to the boarding bridge. Failing in his attempt, he resorted to banging on a glass window overlooking the tarmac and throwing his shoes at it. Efinger then kicked open a door to a stairwell and ran down the stairs.
Thermal imagery camera footage captured Efinger running across the runway towards a taxiing plane before the clip abruptly ended. First responders arrived at around 10:10 a.m. and extracted Efinger from the engine intake cowling. Despite their efforts to save him, he was declared dead at the scene.
While the cause of Efinger’s death remains unknown, his family revealed that they believe he was experiencing a mental health crisis while traveling to visit his sick grandfather in Denver. His father, Judd Efinger, expressed his concerns about his son’s mental state, stating, “He got held up in security, missed his flight, and those phone calls, I just knew it was coming on. They call it the manic phase. Those just don’t end well for him. Obviously, this one, the worst ever.”
The incident at Salt Lake City International Airport serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and support, particularly in high-stress environments such as airports. As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding Efinger’s death, authorities and airport officials may consider reviewing security protocols and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
It is crucial for individuals experiencing mental health crises to seek appropriate help and for airports to have effective systems in place to identify and assist those in need.
