Exploding tire kills worker at John Wayne Airport

SANTA ANA — A worker was killed Tuesday night when a large tire for a walkway that connects the terminal with jets exploded during repairs at John Wayne Airport.

Two men were working on disassembling a wheel inside a workshop on the airfield near Gate Three, said airport spokeswoman Deanne Thompson.

“It’s under enormous pressure,” she said of the jet bridge tire that was four-feet tall.

Jet bridges are the enclosed walkways that passengers and crew take to get from the terminal to the jet and vice-versa.

Two men were working in the immediate area.

“They were disassembling it, and it exploded and that force caused all the damage,” Thompson said.

The 11:30 p.m. explosion triggered the fire alarm and sprinkler system inside the workshop, summoning Orange County Fire Authority firefighters and paramedics.

Thompson said the men were workers with JBG, a company that also manages baggage-handling system equipment.

The second man refused medical attention.

No airport operations were affected, she said.

In addition to sheriff’s deputies, who were on scene Tuesday night, state investigators are investigating the incident.