Two Workers Killed in Tire Explosion at Georgia Airliner Maintenance Facility

Two workers were killed and a third was injured when an airplane tire apparently exploded at a Delta Air Lines maintenance shop at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, prompting an investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Associated Press and other news sites reported that maintenance workers at the wheel and brake shop at Delta’s sprawling facility were disassembling an airliner’s wheel components when the tire exploded early Tuesday morning. The wheel was not attached to an airliner at the time.

The deceased workers were identified as Luis Aldarondo, 37, of Newnan; and Mirko F. Marweg, 58, of Stone Mountain, USA Today reported. An update on the injured employee was not immediately available.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is aware of the incident, the New York Times noted. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers urged aviation authorities and Delta to launch a thorough investigation into what caused the explosion.

Georgia workers’ compensation law provides two-thirds of a worker’s average weekly wage for temporary total disability, up to a maximum of $800, for as long as 400 weeks, according to the state Board of Workers’ Compensation. For fatalities, the law in 2022 provided a burial allowance of $7,500 and the worker’s weekly temporary total disability rate, paid to the spouse, with a maximum of $270,000, the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute shows.

Photo: An airliner landing gear assembly. (Adobe Stock images)

Topics Georgia Aviation Numbers