A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport and bound for Dallas, carrying 143 passengers and 5 crew members yesterday, was forced into a dramatic emergency landing at Philadelphia airport yesterday. of the explosion of the left engine of the aircraft.
The accident occurred at high altitude, about 20 minutes after takeoff and caused significant damage to the aircraft. The engine after the explosion was partially detached and produced considerable damage to the fuselage and wing. The debris produced by the explosion has shattered a porthole, resulting in a depressurization of the cabin and a passenger has been partially sucked out of the plane. Only the immediate intervention of other passengers who, in the understandable panic created on board, managed to grasp and hold it, saving their lives.
Unfortunately in the accident, one of the passenger 143 lost his life, while 7, including the woman we talked about, were injured. The deceased is Jennifer Riordan, 43, a mother of two, from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The emergency landing, despite a small fire due to the loss of fuel, promptly tamed by the firefighters of the Pennsylvania airport, took place safely. Given the seriousness of the accident, it could have been a catastrophe and instead the serious death of a single passenger must be considered a small miracle. He was the first victim in an accident involving a US airline since 2009. Great emotion on the part of the airline, which through a press release has closed on the people involved and their families: "The entire Southwest family is devastated and extends its deepest and most heartfelt solidarity to customers, employees, family members and loved ones affected by this tragic event ".
The airline suffered losses on the Stock Exchange of more than 3%, then contained in closing at -1,1%.
The aircraft had only been inspected two days before.
The causes of the accident have not yet been ascertained, but several commissions were immediately launched to understand what could have happened to the engine of the Boeing 737, built by the French-American company CFM International, controlled by Safran and General Electric.
Photo: Dallas Morning news