American Airlines suggests worker who died in machinery accident actually committed suicide: report

An American Airlines employee who died in April was killed in a freak accident involving faulty machinery despite a corporate investigator who suggested that the actual cause of death was suicide, according to a report.

Michal Ingraham, a 37-year-old fleet service agent, was driving an aircraft-towing vehicle known as a “tug” on April 20 on the tarmac at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas when it crashed into a jet bridge near Gate 24 at Barbara Jordan Terminal, according to the American-Statesman of Austin.

A witness told police that the vehicle “accelerated faster than normal and then veered to the right” before the fatal collision.

When other ground agents yelled at Ingraham to hit the brakes, it appeared that the accelerator “got stuck” moments before the crash, witnesses told police.

The crash left Ingraham pinned between the vehicle and the underside of the jet bridge, according to the American-Statesman.

He was pronounced dead around 15 minutes after authorities arrived on the scene.

The medical examiner determined that Ingraham died as a result of blunt force injuries, according to the report.

Toxicology reports indicated that Ingraham had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.

Though police and the medical examiner ruled Ingraham’s death an accident, a corporate investigator hired by American Airlines suggested that it may have been suicide, the American-Statesman reported.

Lynn Fast, the corporate investigator, told Austin police a day after the incident that he had “obtained information overnight indicating that the fatal incident was a suicide and not an accident,” according to a police report cited by the American-Statesman.

Fast reportedly told authorities that he spoke to Ingraham’s father.

During their conversation, the father apologized for the ordeal, which Fast said he “found strange.”

The Post has sought comment from Fast, whose LinkedIn account indicates that he worked as a peace officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety as well as the Addison Police Department in suburban Dallas.

Investigators also received a tip from an anonymous source who told them that the vehicle Ingraham was driving had been “marked out of service numerous times for failed brakes,” according to the newspaper.

Ingraham’s tug was reportedly beset with “several mechanical issues” in the days and weeks leading up to the accident, according to the report.

Despite the mechanical failures, the vehicle was kept in operation.

Ten days before the April 20 incident, the same vehicle was involved in a separate collision due to brake failure, a tipster is reported to have told police.

The Post has sought comment from American Airlines.

“We are focused on ensuring that all involved have the support they need during this difficult time,” an airline spokesperson told the American-Statesman.

“American is fully cooperating in this open investigation.”

According to the American-Statesman, the company that oversees maintenance for the vehicle is Menzies Aviation, a UK-based company with an office in Grapevine, Texas.

A Menzies representative declined to comment when reached by The Post.

Menzies’ role in the incident is reportedly the focus of a probe by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to a police report obtained by the American-Statesman.

The Post has sought comment from OSHA.

Last month, OSHA was criticized for fining an American Airlines subsidiary just $15,625 over the death of a ground crew worker who was sucked into a jet engine at an Alabama airport on New Year’s Eve.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.