Father of man who died at airport from Austin sues American Airlines.
On April 20, a 37-year-old man, Michael Ingraham, was killed on the tarmac at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Working as an employee for American Airlines, the aircraft tow vehicle he was driving crashed into a jetway. Today, the man’s father sued American Airlines over what he claims was neglect leading to the death of her son, seeking payment for Ingraham’s medical, funeral and burial expenses, as well as $1 million in financial assistance.
Ingraham’s death was ruled an accident by the Travis County medical examiner, and a police report noted that the vehicle Ingraham was driving had “several mechanical problems”. These included problems with the brakes and accelerator, and the report referred to a accident occurring just 10 days before the incident involving Ingraham’s death. This followed an investigation by American Airlines suggesting that Ingraham had committed suicide during the incident.
David Ingraham filed a petition in Travis County on June 23, stating that his son’s death was “the direct and immediate result of American Airlines’ negligence”, requiring a jury trial. It cites alleged forms of negligence on the part of the airline, including training and the supervision insufficient number of employees, the provision of equipment to Ingraham “unreasonably dangerous” and providing an unsafe workplace.
American Airlines responded last week. She “denies each of the allegations” filed by Ingraham. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating Ingraham’s death.
