A Delta Air Lines ground crew member has died following a ramp accident at 
Orlando International Airport (MCO). The accident, which occurred just before 11:00 PM on Thursday, May 7, saw an airport tug vehicle slam into a jet bridge while a Delta Airbus A321 was parked at the gate.
Due to the damage sustained to the jet bridge, passengers who had boarded the aircraft were forced to disembark via airstairs at the rear door. Delta immediately suspended its operations at MCO and canceled the affected flight to Minneapolis, while authorities have launched an investigation into the tragic accident.
One Dead After Tug Vehicle Crash At Orlando Airport
Delta confirmed that one of its ground workers died after the late-night accident on Thursday, releasing a statement of condolence to the staff member’s family and friends. At this early stage, details of the accident remain limited — so far, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that an airport tug vehicle hit a jet bridge at a gate where a Delta jet was parked. The aircraft — a Delta A321-200 that can accommodate up to 191 people — also had passengers onboard at the time.
According to WESH 2 News, the Delta ground worker was a 49-year-old man from Orlando, with a medical report from the Ninth Circuit Medical Examiner’s Office stating the cause of death as “multiple blunt impact injuries.” The flight involved was DL2593 from Orlando to 
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), and was almost three hours behind schedule when the accident occurred, according to Flightradar24 data. Delta subsequently canceled the flight and said it rebooked passengers on other flights. In a statement, Delta said,
“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of a team member while on the job at Orlando International Airport on the evening of May 7. We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time.”
Operations At Orlando Disrupted
Passengers onboard other aircraft gearing up for departure reported multiple emergency vehicles attending the crash scene. Many captured the scene on their phones, with some initially believing the scene was part of an emergency drill. Passenger Scott Endsley told WESH 2 News that he “assumed it was probably a training exercise,” until the pilot of his flight informed passengers they would be returning to the gate.
Although Delta was only forced to cancel a single flight as it suspended operations, scores of flights at MCO were affected by delays. On top of this, flights scheduled to depart from other airports en route to Orlando were impacted, and a handful of aircraft already in the air diverted to other airports.
Delta said it is working with local authorities, including the Orlando Police Department, which has launched a full investigation. Spokesperson Angela Starke from MCO operator Greater Orlando Aviation Authority said it is “deeply saddened” about the loss of the Delta ground worker. Simple Flying would also like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
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The aircraft’s tail cone and auxiliary power unit suffered considerable damage.
Ground Operational Risks
Given the catastrophic risks of aircraft collisions, airfield operations are tightly controlled to maintain optimal safety. While aircraft tug vehicles are relatively small, they are powerful machines capable of exerting heavy forces to reposition large aircraft. Tug accidents are rare but still happen at US airports several times a year. While typically causing minor damage to airport infrastructure or an aircraft, more serious incidents have occurred.
One high-profile incident from January 2025 saw an American Airlines employee tragically killed at 
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) after they were run over by a tug vehicle. The same airport also saw a death in 2019, when the driver of a tug vehicle hit a dropped piece of luggage, flipping the vehicle and pinning the employee beneath it.
