Southwest Airlines flight incident SWA1380 - the engine exploded, one person died
On 17 April 2018, a Boeing 737-700 Southwest Airlines, operating the WN1380 flight, landed in Philadelphia in an emergency. The aircraft's standing engine exploded, chunks of it hitting the aircraft's fuselage. A window was broken, which resulted in the cabin being depressurized, and a passenger standing next to it was half pulled out. Later, she died at the hospital.
On April 17, 2018, an unfortunate incident occurred on flight SWA1380, on the route New York - Dallas. The left engine (No. 1) of the Boeing 737-700 Southwest Airlines aircraft exploded. Following the explosion, parts of the engine hit the fuselage and a window was broken. The cabin was depressurized, and a passenger in front of the window was half pulled out.
Incident WN1380 Southwest Airlines flight
What a flight! Made it !! Still here !! #southwest #flight1380 pic.twitter.com/Cx2mqoXVzY
- Joe Marcus (@joeasaprap) April 17, 2018
The pilots made the emergency landing decision in Philadelphia. He landed in a motor, in complete safety. The aircraft was awaited on the ground by the intervention crews.
On board were 143 passengers and 5 crew members. 7 people needed medical care at the airport. Unfortunately, the woman, who was partially sucked out, died at the hospital.
Southwest Airlines confirms accident; our Hearts are with those affected: https://t.co/COJ6wR1GFe pic.twitter.com/Gr1xEN8nhc
- Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) April 17, 2018
The commander of the aircraft was Tammie Jo Shults, a 56 pilot woman. It kept its blood cold, acted quickly and according to procedures, bringing the plane with 148 people.
She is seen as a true hero. Tammie Jo Shults was a military fighter pilot and the first female pilot to fly an F-18. He managed to keep his calm, and the passengers thank him for the skill with which he managed to bring the plane to the ground.
The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Authorities listed the incident as unusual, but extremely serious. From 2012 until now, AirlinesTravel has reported incidents with exploded or disintegrated engines, but this is the first of which one passenger died.
NTSB investigators on scene examining engine damage to the Southwest Airlines plane. pic.twitter.com/2dyDzOW8pT
- NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) April 18, 2018
According to the first information published in the international press, the engine had severe traces of wear and the fan blade 13 was completely broken. But there are many other elements to investigate. The damaged engine will undergo a thorough investigation.
Let's just say a few words about the plane. This is an 737-700 Southwest Airlines, indicative of N772SW. The aircraft is 17 years old and 10 months old. The first flight operated on 26 June 2000. Propulsion is provided by 2 CFM56-7B24 engines.
We will return with information depending on the investigation of the authorities.