Alabama airline worker who was sucked into engine remembered as ‘loving mother’ of 3 kids

The Alabama airline worker who died after being sucked into a airplane engine at Montgomery Regional Airport on New Year’s Eve is being remembered as a “loving mom” of three kids. 

Courtney Edwards, 34, has been recognized as the ramp agent for Piedmont Airlines who the National Transportation Safety Board says was killed shortly after an Embraer 170 airplane operated by Envoy Air landed with 63 passengers on board. 

“Courtney was a Ground Handling agent for Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, a loving mom of 3 kids and a beautiful daughter to her beloved mom, Natalie English of Montgomery, Alabama,” a GoFundMe web page arrange by a fellow union member says. “Please know that this tragedy has and can have an effect on her mom, household, buddies and kids for years to return.” 

As of Wednesday, the GoFundMe marketing campaign has raised greater than $100,000 for Edwards’ “3 stunning kids to assist cowl funeral bills, day-to-day bills and another bills wanted to look after the kids.” 

ALABAMA AIRLINE WORKER SUCKED INTO ENGINE WITH ‘BANG,’ PLANE FILLED WITH PASSENGERS SHOOK VIOLENTLY, NTSB SAYS 

A Piedmont Airlines floor crew worker, Courtney Edwards, was killed at Alabama’s Montgomery Regional Airport on Dec. 31, 2022, after being sucked into a airplane’s engine. (Facebook/WAKA)

The Communication Workers of America Local 3645 stated in early January that Edwards was one of its members. 

“Losing Courtney was a horrible tragedy and her abandoning 3 stunning kids to develop up with no mom is simply disheartening to us all,” its president, Donielle Prophete, informed FOX Business on Wednesday.

“I’m elated that the GoFundMe account is being embraced by so many individuals together with different airline employees!” she added.

Richard Honeycutt, vp of CWA District 3 and chair of CWA’s Passenger Service Airline Council, stated in an announcement that Edwards “was away from her household engaged on New Year’s Eve ensuring passengers received to the place they wanted to be for the vacations. 

“She represents the perfect of our CWA airport members, who consistently make sacrifices to serve the flying public,” he added. “Her reminiscence will reside on within the hearts and minds of her fellow CWA members and people closest to her.” 

A report from the NTSB this week stated the plane concerned within the incident “shook violently” and shut off with a “bang” when it occurred. 

The preliminary report states the plane had an inoperative auxiliary energy unit and that its captain signaled for it to be linked to floor energy after arriving from Dallas, opting to “depart each engines working for the required two-minute engine calm down interval.” 

MAJOR PLANE SHORTAGE FUELS TURBULENT SKIES 

As the captain was shutting off the airplane’s proper engine, he obtained a message that the plane’s entrance cargo door had opened and “the primary officer opened his cockpit window to tell the ramp agent that the engines have been nonetheless working,” the report says. 

The NTSB discovered that the captain then informed passengers to stay seated till the seat belt signal turned off and stated to his colleague that the airplane’s left engine can be shut down after it was linked to floor energy. 

“Immediately thereafter, he noticed a warning gentle illuminate and the airplane shook violently adopted by the quick computerized shutdown of the #1 [left] engine,” the report says.  

All inbound and outbound flights have been initially grounded at Alabama’s Montgomery Regional Airport, however operations resumed about seven hours after the incident. (WAKA)

The NTSB, citing surveillance video, stated Edwards was seen “strolling alongside the forefront of the left wing and straight in entrance of the primary engine” earlier than she was “subsequently pulled off her ft and into the working engine.” 

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The report stated simply previous to the airplane’s arrival, the ramp brokers held two security briefings “to reiterate that the engines would stay working till floor energy was linked.” 

One of the ramp brokers reported listening to a “bang” as the engine shut down, the NTSB additionally stated.