Grainy video from Milan–Bergamo Airport has ignited horror over a passenger being pulled into a Volotea Airbus A319 engine during pushback—his body swept away before stunned staff could react. The footage records him breaching restricted zones, sprinting across the tarmac, and being sucked into a spinning turbofan, where his life ended in an instant.
The footage, obtained by airport security, shows him weaving past barriers and officers by 10 a.m. local time, scaling a fence, and running beneath the jet’s wing until he is swallowed by the engine’s lethal suction. According to Bergamo News, witnesses say it happened within seconds as the engine powered up during taxi procedures.
“He ran toward the engine—then nothing.” Video captures horror moment man is pulled into plane turbofan. pic.twitter.com/BdnydqBt4t— T_CAS videos (@tecas2000) July 8, 2025
Flight operations were suspended for nearly two hours, with delays and diversions affecting dozens, as passengers on a flight to Asturias were told to disembark. Volotea quickly issued a statement saying that though the victim was neither crew nor passenger, all travelers and staff received immediate psychological support after the traumatic incident.
Experts say turbofan engines can generate suction power at distances more than five times the length of a human body. A thorough analysis by Unilad and Daily Mail notes that even standing a few meters away is not enough protection once the engine spins beyond 5,000 rpm.
“One moment the apron was silent, the next chaos broke out.” Staff describe pandemonium at the tarmac. pic.twitter.com/AlertRunwayX— CNN Intl (@cnni) July 8, 2025
Security protocols are now under intense scrutiny. According to a report by The Independent, the man bypassed multiple checkpoints, scaling fencing and ducking past security in under a minute—a breakdown that airport authorities now admit “exposed serious vulnerabilities in perimeter defense.”
Italian police have launched an investigation into what led the man onto the active ramp. One detail leaked by ANSA and reported by the New York Post suggests the act may have been intentional, hinting at a possible mental-health crisis rather than a simple accident.
“Our security failed him and everyone.” Guard testimony underscores the breach that allowed tragedy. pic.twitter.com/SecBreachY— The Guardian (@guardian) July 8, 2025
Volotea staff have been offered trauma counseling and a hotline established for relatives, and airport unions are demanding immediate upgrades to motion-sensor fencing and armed patrols. Travelers diverted to Bologna and Verona spoke of emergency crews combing the runway and medical teams standing by.
This is just the latest case in a disturbing string of engine-related accidents—including at Amsterdam Schiphol and Salt Lake City—underscoring how quickly safety turns fatal. Business Insider warns that airport aprons remain underestimated danger zones, and incidents like these must be treated as real vulnerabilities.
“This is more than a tragedy—it’s a wake-up call.” Aviation safety experts urge global terminals to reassess apron protocols. pic.twitter.com/ghiAviationRisk— Aviation Watch (@AviationWatch) July 8, 2025
A spokesperson for SACBO, the airport’s operator, confirmed the runway remains closed while perimeter enhancements are underway. Engineers are expected to install new intrusion detection systems and reinforced barriers by next month.
Families of displaced passengers are questioning how a single person gained such access. A motion sensor upgrade bill is now under debate in Italy’s parliament, and aviation authorities across Europe are reviewing their own apron procedures after this chilling incident.
The footage concludes not with closure, but continued silence—no sirens, no second chance, just the searing realization that on airport tarmacs, one breach is all it takes.
