Man Struck, Killed By Plane At Austin Airport

AUSTIN, TX — A man was killed after reportedly being struck by an airplane on an Austin-Bergstrom International Airport runway on Thursday, officials said.

The incident occurred just after 8:20 p.m. along the 3600 block of Presidential Boulevard, Austin-Travis County EMS officials wrote on Twitter. Medics reported the adult victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Reached by Patch on his cell phone, Austin-Berstrom spokesperson Bryce Dubee confirmed the information. He said the person was struck by an arriving commercial aircraft on Runway 17R. Dubee did not specify the air carrier to which the plane belongs, but Austin police later said it was a Southwest Airlines jet.

Dubee also would not immediately confirm whether the man who was struck was an airport employee.

The spokesperson said an investigation into the incident is ongoing, and more details would be forthcoming subsequently. Patch will update when more information is known.

By Friday morning, the Austin Police Department issued a statement after its own preliminary investigation: "On Thursday, May 7, 2020 at approximately 8:16 p.m., APD Airport Police responded to an aircraft that had just landed at Austin Bergstrom International Airport and reported to the tower that they saw an individual on the runway. The tower observed what appeared to be a body and APD Airport Units responded. An obviously deceased adult male was located with trauma."

In its statement, the Austin Police Department noted the Southwest Airlines crew did not report the plane had struck anything on the runway, but saw an individual on the runway after landing. The victim was pronounced dead by 8:41 p.m., police said. "We will release more information as it becomes available," local law enforcement officials added.