OSHA fines tech museum over accident that killed San Antonio inventor

Federal safety regulators have fined the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology over a violation related to a September accident that left its founder and CEO dead. 

David Monroe, a prolific inventor and entrepreneur, was killed when a jet engine that he and a colleague were unloading fell onto him at a loading dock at Boeing Center at Tech Port. The engine was to be used as an exhibit.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the museum $4,965 for the “serious” violation of failing to train workers on how to properly use the loading dock. 

According to police reports, the 5,000-pound jet engine on a dolly was partially parked on a movable steel ramp, known as a “dock board,” when the truck moved away, leaving the ramp unsupported. 

RELATED: ‘Rushed’ job, ‘oversights’ led to fatal workplace accident at Port San Antonio, police say

Surveillance footage showed Monroe, who was at the front of the ramp nearest the truck, “struggling with the locking mechanism on the ramp as the truck pulls away.”

As the ramp lowered, the unsecured dolly rolled down and fell onto the 72-year-old Monroe.

The museum “did not train each employee who uses a dock board to properly place and secure it to prevent unintentional movement,” OSHA said in its citation. “On September 19, 2025, at the warehouse area, worker(s) who transported museum exhibits using a dock board were not trained on how to operate the dock board.”

OSHA issued the violation in mid-March and released details Friday. SAMSAT agreed to pay $3,972 in an informal settlement that was reached with the regulator on April 8.

READ MORE: A prolific inventor was fatally crushed. His heirs are sorting out his estate in court.

“We at SAMSAT miss David very much, and we feel his presence every day,” said Cliff Zintgraff, the museum’s current CEO. “We cooperated fully with OSHA’s investigation, with a focus on the work environment of our staff.”

He said SAMSAT “will continue to build on David’s legacy, and to deliver impact for the students, families and communities we serve.” 

A Port San Antonio spokesman referred questions to the museum and Legends Global, the operator of the Boeing Center, which did not immediately respond to request for comment.

According to OSHA’s guidelines, the museum Monroe led is responsible for a safety program to prevent accidents. It requires inspecting job sites, materials and equipment; ensuring equipment is safe; properly training employees; and providing personal protective equipment.

Earlier this month, the San Antonio Police Department released its investigation report that concluded there was “no criminal element,” but the “unloading seemed to be rushed” and “several apparent oversights occurred” as the men moved the engine.

According to police, the oversights included not confirming the brake on the dolly was set or the loading dock ramp was locked, moving the truck while the load remained on the dock ramp and not waiting for more help.

READ NEXT: For San Antonio tech pioneer David Monroe, science was ‘more exciting’ than sci-fi

“Along with not waiting for the help that was reportedly forthcoming, this series of apparent mistakes resulted in the engine and dolly falling into an uncontrollable, rolling (descent) from which the victim was unable to escape,” wrote Jason Spraggins, SAPD homicide detective. 

Monroe is credited with creating the cellhone camera. He also held key roles at Datapoint, a San Antonio company that in the 1970s helped develop an early personal computer, and won more than 50 patents covering microcomputer processors, wireless networks and other electronics. 

The museum he founded has several facilities on Port San Antonio in addition to its space in the Boeing Center, which is known as Area 21. 

Monroe died without a will. His estate is in probate court in Bexar County.