The man’s father previously said his son was going through a “manic phase” at the time — as video shows him attempt to open emergency doors at the airport, before sprinting down the runway.
Newly-released video highlights the behavior of 30-year-old Kyler Efinger before he climbed into a plane engine on the runway at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
The fatal incident went down earlier this month, with Efinger pronounced dead shortly after accessing the airfield via an emergency exit door. His family said he had a history with mental health issues and believed he was going through a “manic phase” at the time of his death.
The footage, released by the Salt Lake City Department of Airports (via FOX 13), shows the moments leading up to Efinger’s death, following an alleged “disturbance” at a shop in the airport after going through security. He had reportedly missed his flight to Denver to see his sick grandfather.
In the footage, Efinger is seen running up to an empty gate and attempting to open a locked door in the boarding area. Someone who appears to be on the custodial staff can be seen talking to him, before he then runs for another gate.
At the next gate, he also tries to open the locked door and falls to the ground doing so. He then bangs on the glass, throws both of his shoes at it before leaving the area. He then kicks open an emergency door and somehow makes his way to the airfield, where thermal imaging cameras catch him running toward a taxiing plane.
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Authorities later found Efinger’s clothes on the runway, before discovering him inside the engine of an Airbus A220-100. He was pronounced dead at the scene. “The aircraft’s engines were rotating,” said police, “The specific stage of engine operation remains under investigation.”
Efinger’s family said he had bipolar disorder and was “reluctant” to seek treatment, but appeared to be doing well when they saw him at Christmas shortly before the incident. His father, Judd Efinger, told FOX 13 his son “got held up in security” and missed his flight, before calling him.
“Those phone calls, I just knew it was coming on. They call it the manic phase,” said Judd. “Those just don’t end well for him. Obviously, this one, the worst ever.”
