Man killed in aircraft engine

A 51-YEAR-OLD New Zealand engineer working at an aircraft testing facility has been sucked into an engine and killed.

Domestic carrier Air New Zealand confirmed the man was performing routine maintenance on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules engine early yesterday at the Woodbourne air field in Blenheim when he was sucked into the engine.

An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the engine was sitting on a stand without propellers attached and was not affixed to a plane at the time of the accident.