How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 67 severe cases involving fixed-wing aircraft over the last decade. Amputations and fractures each account for 33% of these incidents, reflecting the extreme physical forces involved in aviation maintenance and ground support.
Injuries from these aircraft often target your fingers, which account for 36% of all reported cases. These injuries frequently result in permanent impairment, requiring long-term medical care and significant time away from your job.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Falls from height represent the primary danger, with 32% of incidents involving a fall to a lower level while you access wings or cargo compartments. You are also frequently struck by rolling equipment or compressed between running machinery and the aircraft frame during routine maintenance and loading tasks.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other fall to lower level | 21 |
| 2 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 11 |
| 3 | Compressed between running equipment and other object(s) | 6 |
| 4 | Struck against stationary object | 4 |
| 5 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 3 |
| 6 | Struck by running powered equipment— unspecified | 3 |
| 7 | Fall on same level | 3 |
| 8 | Incidents onboard aircraft in normal operation | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing operations account for 67% of all reported aircraft-related injuries. This high volume stems from the constant pressure to load cargo and perform rapid maintenance, which often leads to the bypass of critical safety protocols when you work around large, complex machinery.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you slipping from wings during maintenance, getting limbs caught in floor locks, or being struck by propellers during timing services. These incidents often stem from inadequate fall protection or failures to properly secure equipment before you start work. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you understand your options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CO | Administrative Services | "An employee was pulling a loaded cargo container from the back of an aircraft to the front. His left boot got caught on a floor lock. The lock punctured the top of his boot and amputated his little toe." | |
| 2025 | LA | Construction | "An employee was preparing a commercial jet-liner to be repainted. He had accessed the wing via a scissor lift, and was standing on a flap over an aft wing box, at a height of approximately 15 feet. His harness was on, and he was hooked up to the scissor lift yoyo. He slipped off the top of the wing and fell approximately 6 feet, making contact with the plane and scissor lift, resulting in a fractured left femur." | |
| 2025 | CO | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was performing a magneto timing service on a four-seat, single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft. The timing service requires the propeller and the engine to be moved/rotated. When the propeller rotated, it struck the employee, causing a head injury. The employee was hospitalized. " | |
| 2025 | CA | Public Administration | "On January 27, 2025, an employee was stepping down from the wing of a training aircraft when he lost his balance with one foot on the hangar floor and fell onto his left side. The employee was hospitalized with a left femur fracture and required surgery." | |
| 2024 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was descending from an aft cargo compartment when they fell to the ground, resulting in fractures." | |
| 2024 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was removing a rotary actuator at an outboard flap on an airplane. The actuator moved and cut the employee's left little finger, partially amputating the ball of the finger." | |
| 2024 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was disassembling the avionics equipment cooling ducting to gain access for a repair. After removing the equipment, the fan motor became energized and suction caused the employee's left hand to contact the fan blades. The employee sustained severe lacerations to their index and middle fingers, as well as their thumb (all at or above the last knuckle). Two fingers were medically amputated." | |
| 2023 | GA | Manufacturing | "On November 28, 2023, an employee was working on an aircraft. They had used a work-stand, or portable/rolling staircase, to enter the aircraft. When the employee stepped backward to exit the aircraft, the work stand was not there, causing the employee to fall approximately 46 inches to the concrete floor. The employee was hospitalized with fractured ribs, contusions/abrasions to left elbow, and a bruised back." | |
| 2023 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "On November 26, 2023, an employee was closing a door on an airplane when their left little finger was caught in the door frame, resulting in a fingertip amputation." | |
| 2023 | CA | Transportation & Warehousing | "On June 27, 2023, at 2:30 p.m., a pilot was returning after a test flight of an F-35 aircraft. After aircraft recovery, the pilot exited the aircraft via the integrally mounted aircraft access ladder. During his descent, he tripped on the third ladder step and fell approximately 6 feet, resulting in a dislocated left shoulder, a compound dislocation of the left elbow, and stable fractures of the left 7th and 8th ribs." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.