ORLANDO, Fla.— A minor ground incident caused a brief delay for a Cleveland-bound flight at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Monday afternoon after a ground crew member’s hat was sucked into an engine inlet on an Airbus A321neo.
The incident occurred on Monday, October 19, 2026, as Frontier Airlines Flight F91055 was preparing for departure to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). While the aircraft was undergoing pre-flight ground procedures, strong suction from one of the jet engines pulled a ramp worker’s hat directly into the inlet.
Ground personnel immediately informed the pilots to assess the situation. Maintenance technicians conducted a visual inspection of the engine intake and successfully retrieved the stray hat.
Following confirmation that no structural damage or foreign object debris (FOD) compromised the engine’s internal components, ground operations cleared the aircraft for departure.
The jet (an Airbus A321neo registered as N669FR) subsequently taxied to Runway 35L and took off roughly 30 minutes behind schedule. The flight proceeded to Cleveland without further disruption.
Aviation safety experts note that ground staff working near active turbine engines must strictly secure loose garments and personal items, as jet intake suction poses a significant risk of engine damage or severe personal injury.
