Delta tire explosion: Family of worker killed said he was going to retire next year

The family of one of two men killed when a tire from a Delta Air Line plane exploded is speaking out about the incident.

The family of Mirko Marweg, 58, spoke to WSB days after he was killed.

“I’m not happy. I’m going through a gamut of emotions right now. I’m hurting,” Marweg’s brother Eric Gibson said.

Marweg was killed when a piece of metal flew off a Boeing 757 tire, hitting him and co-worker Luis Aldarondo, on Tuesday. A third worker, who was not identified, was severely injured.

They had been moving the tire in the wheel and brake shop when it exploded.

“Essentially it sounded like he was hit with a bomb,” Gibson said. “He was pretty much unrecognizable. And that the only way they could recognize him was to ask the family about tattoos and the Mississippi State lanyard he wore.”

Marweg, according to Gibson, worked for Delta for more than 20 years and had planned to retire in June and then the brothers would travel the country by motorcycle.

“We’re waiting for someone to wake us all up from this nightmare,” Gibson told WSB.

He said his brother followed the rules on the job and didn’t take shortcuts because the work was dangerous.

An investigation is underway by both Delta and the Operational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to find out what caused the tire to explode. Investigators are looking at how much pressure was in the tire at the time or if there was a defect in the wheel itself, WSB reported.

The company released a statement which read:

“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility (TOC 3). We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.

“The Delta family is grateful for the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site. We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened.”

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