Mental health crisis cited in Salt Lake City airport death

Gated Delta Airlines airplanes at Salt Lake City International Airport. Photo: Michele Roepke

Father of 30-year-old man found in airplane engine recounts his son's mental health struggles

If you are experiencing mental health struggles, please visit 988lifeline.org for resources.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The father of the Park City man found dead inside a plane engine at Salt Lake City International Airport recently spoke to Fox13 about his son’s mental health struggles.

Judd Efinger, Kyler Efinger’s father, said that Kyler Efinger had been struggling with mental health issues for nearly a decade.

The incident occurred after Kyler Efinger, a ticketed passenger bound for Denver, breached an airport security door and crawled into the engine of a Delta plane. Before the incident, Kyler Efinger was reportedly involved in a disturbance inside the airport.

Judd Efinger expressed uncertainty about what led to his son’s actions. Still, he mentioned that the family had a good gathering the previous week and that Kyler Efinger was on his way to visit a sick grandparent.

The exact cause of Kyler Efinger’s death is still under investigation.