Southwest grounds flights for inspections
After a midair explosion on plane last week, company undergoes emergency inspections
About 40 of Southwest Airline’s 4,000 scheduled flights are canceled because of emergency fan blade inspections.
Scores of Southwest Airlines travelers are facing delays or cancellations Sunday due to emergency inspections following the midair explosion of an engine on one of the airline’s 737s last week.
Southwest said about 40 of its 4,000 scheduled flights were canceled because of the emergency fan blade inspections. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking website FlightAware showed that about 414 Southwest flights, or about 10 percent, had been delayed Sunday.
Southwest did not immediately say what proportion of the delays was tied to the engine inspections, or whether another problem was contributing to the widespread disruptions. In a statement, it acknowledged only the 40 cancellations.
“When we announced the accelerated engine fan blade inspection program on Tuesday night, we said there would be some impact to the operation,” Southwest’s communications team in a statement.
“We have minimized flight disruptions this past week through actions such as proactive aircraft routings to cover open trips and utilizing spare aircraft, when available.”
Following the April 17 incident that killed 43-year-old passenger Jennifer Riordan when she was partially sucked out of a window that broke, Southwest announced accelerated, ultrasonic checks of fan blades on the CFM56 engines, which power the Boeing 737s that make up the entirety of Southwest’s fleet.
“The accelerated inspections are being performed out of an abundance of caution and are expected to be completed over the next 30 days,” Southwest said in a statement Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration later ordered inspections on the type of engine that exploded.
Southwest said, however, the cancellations stemmed from its voluntary inspections — not the FAA directive issued Friday.
Meanwhile in Albuquerque, N.M., family and friends mourned Riordan, an Albuquerque bank executive.
An evening service was scheduled to be held at the Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus, her alma mater.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community. It truly touches our hearts,” the Riordan family wrote in a statement. “We know there are many in the community who want to celebrate Jennifer.”
The 43-year-old community leader and mother of two was heading home from a business trip Tuesday on a flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport bound for Dallas.
Authorities said Riordan was fatally injured when she was sucked partway through the window, sending passengers scrambling to help her as the aircraft shook violently and went into a rapid descent. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.
Riordan was the only one of the 149 people on board who suffered severe injuries.
Riordan was well-known in the Albuquerque area for an established career in community engagement and volunteerism. She served as vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo's New Mexico operations.
She oversaw the company's corporate giving program in New Mexico and volunteered her time with a number of area nonprofit groups and boards.
She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a communications degree in 1999 and previously worked as the media relations manager at UNM Hospital.
Riordan and her husband, Michael Riordan, a former chief operating officer for the city of Albuquerque, were married for more than 20 years.