(Reuters) – A person was killed late Thursday after being struck by a plane landing at an airport in Austin, Texas, officials said.
The person was struck and killed on runway 17R by a landing aircraft on Thursday evening, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas said on Twitter, adding that the incident was being probed. The deceased was an adult, emergency officials added.
The airport said that a pilot had spotted a person on the runway before the death was reported.
“According to initial information, Southwest Airlines Flight 1392 reported to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport that they saw an unauthorized individual on runway 17-Right, after their aircraft (a Boeing 737) touched down at 8:12 p.m. Central Time on Thursday”, the airport said.
“AUS Airport Operations investigated the report and found the victim on the runway,” according to the airport’s statement, which also added that the Austin Police Department (APD) was leading the probe into the incident.
According to local media, the APD said the deceased person was not dressed as an airport worker. The Federal Aviation Administration was assisting the APD in probing the incident.
The runway where the incident happened was closed thereafter. The airport, located just south of Texas’ capital, has another runway where flights kept going.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra