UPDATE: Park City man dies after crawling into airplane engine at SLC airport

Airport snow removal crews worked throughout the night to keep the airfield clear at the Salt Lake City International Airport, Feb. 21, 2023. Photo: Salt Lake City International Airport

The man was located unconscious inside a wing-mounted engine of an occupied commercial aircraft on the deicing pad around 10:08 p.m.

SALT LAKE CITY — The 30-year-old man who died after crawling into the engine of an airplane at the Salt Lake City International Airport has been identified as Kyler Efinger, a Park City resident.

According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department, Efinger got into the engine intake cowling on a deicing pad.

Efinger was a ticketed passenger with a boarding pass to Denver, Colorado. The incident began at approximately 9:52 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 1 when a store manager at the airport contacted dispatchers regarding a disturbance involving Efinger, who was a ticketed passenger with a boarding pass to Denver, Colorado. The store manager told dispatchers the Efinger walked through an emergency exit door.

According to the SLCPD, officers and airport employees began to look for Efinger. He was eventually located partially inside the wing-mounted engine of an occupied commercial aircraft around 10:08 p.m. The aircraft’s engines were rotating, however, the specific stage of engine operation remains under investigation

SLCPD said officers and airport employees worked together to get Efinger out of the engine intake cowling. Lifesaving efforts including CPR and naloxone administration were performed, but Efinger was pronounced dead at the scene.

Efinger’s cause of death is currently unknown. SLCPD officers will work with the medical examiner’s office to confirm the cause and manner of death, which may include a toxicology report.

SLCPD said this incident did not impact the overall operation of the airport. Multiple agencies are currently conducting separate investigations into this incident, including the SLCPD, Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and Transportation Security Administration.

No additional information is expected to be released pending the autopsy.

#Breaking Man dead in security breach at Salt Lake International Airport, body found inside aircraft engine cowling https://t.co/UbhBtreKv6 via @GephardtDaily #Aviation @slcpd pic.twitter.com/UypSznAvBI

— SLCScanner (@SLCScanner) January 2, 2024

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