'Don't look out': Bloody scene unfolds at Milan airport after a man reportedly throws himself into plane engine

A man is believed to have thrown himself into the engine of an airplane at the Milan Bergamo Airport (BGY) on 8 July. Earlier reports suggested that afte illegally entering the airport, he was sucked in by the engine. Aviationa2z reported initially that the man was ingested by the Volotea (V7) airplane engine while it was taxiing. However, an investigation is underway to try and figure out what exactly happened. Milan airport officials said that the incident occurred at 10 am local time. About 20 minutes later, the airport released an official announcement, stating that all flight operations had been suspended “due to a problem that occurred on the taxiway.” Passengers recalled that they were told, "Don't look out the windows". The man has been identified as Andrea Russo from Calcinate near Bergamo. The 35-year-old entered the terminal in a red Fiat 500 car. He got off and started running into the building.

He had no ticket and started moving towards a restricted area that led to the runway. Two Border Police on duty caught hold of him, but he managed to break free. He then went on to throw himself into one of the two turbofans of the plane. The Volotea Airbus A319 flight V73511 was going from Milan to Austurias, Spain. The airport shut down all operations following the tragic incident. It was reported that the man was sucked into the engine. The plane was ready to depart when he breached airport security and went near the aircraft.

Witness accounts from Milan airport

A Spanish passenger who was on the plane at the time of the incident told La Nueva España, that they suddenly "heard a noise and a bang" just when the plane was getting ready to depart. Those who had seen by then what was transpiring outside warned others not to watch. "Some people saw something through the window and put their hands to their heads. They told us it was best not to look out, because what was happening was very unpleasant." The pilot informed the passengers that a "very serious problem involving a person" had occurred. Passengers were asked to leave from the front right door, and fire, medical, and law enforcement personnel also reached the site immediately

Local media reports said the police claimed Russo had a "drug problem". A man who watched Russo run towards the aircraft, told Italian news outlet La Repubblica, “I wasn't on that plane, I was boarding another plane next to it and we saw everything. He ran towards the right side. Then he ran and was sucked by the left side motor. I can't describe it as pleasant.” The next two hours witnessed cancellations and delays, with some flights being diverted to other airports. Flightradar24 data showed that at least 13 flights due to leave from Milan airport were cancelled, along with nine inbound flights. Volotea (V7) also confirmed that a man had died after being sucked in by the engine of the plane that was getting ready to leave for Spain. According to Italian broadcaster RAI and Corriere della Sera, Russo was fleeing from the police when he decided to make his way onto the runway.