Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 makes emergency landing after uncontained engine failure

A southwest Airlines Boeing 737 had to make an emergency landing on Tuesday 17 April 2018, after the aircraft suffered an uncontained engine failure.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-7H4 with registration N772SW, took off from New York LaGuardia airport and was on its way to Dallas Love Field as flight WN1380 LGA-DAL. As the aircraft was climbing through FL320 the left engine was damaged and shrapnel and debris impacted the side of the fuselage shattering a passenger window causing the loss of cabin pressure, the Aviation Herald reports.

The crew decided to initiate an emergency descent and diverted to Philadelphia PHL where the aircraft made an emergency landing on RWY 27L.

The passengers disembarked via stairs onto the taxiway and were taken to the terminal. One passenger was injured and taken to a hospital. Unfortunately, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed later that one passenger had deceased. This is the first fatality aboard a US airline flight since February 2009, aviation journalist Jon Ostrower reported.

Aircraft details

Boeing 737-7H4 N772SW was delivered new to Southwest Airlines in July 2000. The aircraft. It has 143 economy seats in a single class layout. The aircraft has two CFM56-7 jet engines. The aircraft was 17,8 years old when it operated today’s incident flight.

Earlier Incident

In August 2016, a similar incident occured on another Southwest Airlines flight. Flight WN3472 from New Orleans to Orlando suffered an in-flight loss of an engine air inlet cowl near Biloxi, Mississippi. A safe diversion was carried out.

Today’s incident is under investigation by the NTSB.

17 April 2018

Photos: copyright (c) Flightradar24.com / Matt Tranchin.