Crane Operator fatality at Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ, October 17, 1991

at 8:00 AM

On October 17, 1991, a crane operator was fatally injured in a machinery accident at Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ.

Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc. · Surface · Metal/Non-Metal

Operator: Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc. (Phelps Dodge Corp)

Greenlee County, AZ

Classification MACHINERY

Type Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object

Investigator narrative

HE WAS DRIVING THE #28 HYDRAULIC CRANE IN LOW GEAR DOWN A MINE ROAD WITH THE BOOM IN AN ELEVATED POSITION CREATING A HIGHER CENTER OF GRAVITY, WHEN THE CRANE STARTED TO TIP. HE EXITED THE CAB AND THE CRANE LAID OVER ON TOP OF HIM.

Record details

Activity at time of incident: Escaping A Hazard
Subunit / location: STRIP, QUARY, OPEN PIT
Accident type: Caught in, under or between a moving and a stationary object
Source of injury: SURFACE MINING MACHINES
Nature of injury: MULTIPLE INJURIES
Body part affected: MULTIPLE PARTS (MORE THAN ONE MAJOR)
Total mining experience: 26 years
Experience at this mine: 26 years
Experience in this job: 6 years
Degree of injury: FATALITY

Related fatalities

Same operator

July 6, 2026 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
January 28, 2022 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
September 15, 2021 · Welder (Non-Shop) · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
September 1, 2008 · Warehouseman · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ
December 20, 2002 · Warehouseman · Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc., AZ

Same classification

July 1, 2026 · Electrician · Warrior Met Coal BC, LLC, AL
May 20, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Pine Branch Mining LLC, KY
March 12, 2026 · Maintenance Man · Kennecott Utah Copper LLC, UT
March 5, 2026 · Continuous Miner Operator · Patton Mining LLC, IL
January 6, 2026 · Maintenance Man · National Cement Company Of California Inc, CA

Same year

December 28, 1991 · Mine Manager · Stillwater Mining Company, MT
December 27, 1991 · Haul/Off Road/Coal/Ore/Pit/Quarry/Rock/Rubber Tire Truck Driver · Sierra Rock Products, CA
December 26, 1991 · Maintenance Man · Spring Creek Coal Company, MT
December 19, 1991 · Laborer · Coal Valley Mining Inc, IL
December 18, 1991 · Welder (Shop) · Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc, NV

Verify on MSHA

Every record on this page mirrors what MSHA publishes under its Open Government Data program, refreshed weekly. MSHA does not publish per-accident URLs (the Accidents data is distributed as a single bulk file), so this is how to retrieve the source for the specific record below:

Accident record: Download MSHA Accidents.zip then search for Document number 219913080001 (the unique key per MSHA Form 7000-1)
Mine record: MSHA Mine Data Retrieval System and search by Mine ID 0200024
All MSHA datasets: Open Government Data program directory covering Accident, Mines, Inspections, Violations, etc.

Source: US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) · Document 219913080001 · Mine ID 0200024 Trainer view →