![]()
The parents of a man who died inside a jet engine at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) two years ago have filed a lawsuit against the city, which operates the airport. The suit alleges the airport's security and emergency response failures led to the death of 30-year-old Kyler Efinger.
The lawsuit, obtained by KMYU TV, was filed Dec. 30, 2025, in Utah's 3rd District Court. It claims that on Jan. 1, 2024, the airport was "so inadequately designed, managed, monitored, and secured' that Kyler Efinger, who was experiencing a mental health episode before his flight to Denver, Colorado, was able to walk onto the tarmac and crawl into the engine of an Airbus A220-100.
Efinger walked through two emergency exits from the secure passenger area and nearly a mile across restricted areas on the tarmac before he arrived at the de-icing area.
The complaint alleges that those emergency exit doors did not include delayed-egress systems, which are designed to slow access to secure areas. Efinger's parents argue that those lapses created dangerous conditions that allowed him to reach the aircraft undetected.
Air controllers and pilots were also not made aware that a disoriented person was on the tarmac in the area of the de-icing pad, according to the filing.
The suit said Efinger removed most of his clothing and climbed into the Airbus A220-100's engine cowling while the engine was still running. His hair, which was dreadlocked, was pulled into the engine blades. He died from his injuries.
A city police officer described the search for Efinger as a wild goose chase after city personnel misdirected officers to erroneous locations, according to the lawsuit.
The suit accuses the city of negligence, wrongful death, and premises liability. It seeks more than $300,000 in damages for emotional distress, loss of companionship, funeral costs, and other losses.
Efinger's parents are demanding a jury trial.RELATED ARTICLES:Alaska Airlines pilot sues Boeing, claims company tried to blame him for door plug blowoutFinal report released on Hawker 900XP crash in UtahNTSB shares early finds from the field, ADS-B andamp; data recorders in deadly UPS cargo plane crash