Airplane Tire Explodes Near Atlanta Airport Killing Two Delta Workers

An airplane tire explosion killed two Delta employees and injured another near the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta.

A group of Delta airplanes on the ground / Lukas Souza/Unsplash

There was a tragic scene early Tuesday morning in Georgia as the tire of a Boeing 747 aircraft exploded during maintenance leaving two Delta workers dead and another seriously injured.

The incident occured at a Delta TechOps facility in Atlanta, which is located right by the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility,” Delta said in a statement. “We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”

It has been revealed that the plane in question traveled from Las Vegas and arrived in Atlanta on Sunday night.

No further information has been made available on either the cause of explosion or the identities of those impacted. Delta is currently undergoing an investigation into the cause.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers released a statement in support of the Delta employees hurt in the explosion and those that are still working today.

"As a union dedicated to the well-being and safety of our members and the broader community, we will offer our resources to all those impacted by this tragic event," said the union in their statement. "We stand in unity with Delta workers during this difficult time and we call on Delta and the relevant authorities to quickly launch a thorough investigation into how this happened.”

There was no impact to the day-to-day operations of the airline and all flights were able to be completed as scheduled following the event.

Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in the world in terms of airport seats, offering over 300,000 more than the next busiest. Had this explosion happened at the airport as opposed to the TechOps facility, there could have been major delays caused.

It is the primary hub for Delta's operations and the location of the corporate headquarters. There are over 1,000 flights per day that leave from Delta.