Engine Explosion Forces Emergency Landing – First US Airline Fatality In 10 Years

Marty Martinez

Southwest.

Commercial aviation is often considered the safest form of travel as accidents are usually at a bare minimum. Although incidents are infrequent they can still occur from time to time and passengers should be prepared for the worst. Unfortunately, the worst did occur this morning as a Southwest Airlines jet suffered an engine explosion.

While flying at an altitude of 30,000 the left engine of the Boeing 737 suddenly exploded. Shrapnel scattered into the plane, damaging the fuselage and breaking a window. Seven passengers were injured in the incident but sadly one individual lost their life. The remaining passengers hung on for dear life as the pilots brought down the plane for an emergency landing.

“You had a few passengers that were very strong and they kept yelling to people, you know, ‘It’s OK, we’re going to do this.”

The flight from New York to Dallas made an emergency landing where firefighters extinguished the flaming engine before it could spread. The other passengers remained safe and the seven injured were transported to the hospital to treat their injuries. But sadly one person was not lucky enough to walk away from this horrible situation. The FAA will conduct an investigation into the cause of the fatal engine explosion.