Nearly two years after a tragic and unusual death at Salt Lake City International Airport, the family of Kyler Efinger has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against Salt Lake City, which operates the airport.
Efinger died on January 1, 2024, after walking off the secure terminal area, gaining access to the tarmac, and crawling inside the engine cowling of an Airbus A220-100 aircraft that was taxiing after deicing. He sustained fatal blunt force injuries when his head was pulled into the engine blades.
The suit, filed on December 30, 2025, claims the airport was “so inadequately designed, managed, monitored and secured” that a visibly disoriented person could move unimpeded from inside the terminal onto the active airfield. Efinger’s parents, Judd and Lisa Efinger, allege that lapses in security systems and response protocols made the tragedy possible.
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