Plane engine ‘explodes’, woman killed

WASHINGTON: Catastrophic engine failure on a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas killed a mother-of-two and forced an emergency landing on Tuesday, the first fatal incident in US commercial aviation for nearly a decade.

The Boeing 737-700 took off without incident but minutes into the flight, passengers heard an explosion in the left engine, which sent shrapnel flying through the window, shattering the glass and leading oxygen masks to drop, witnesses said.

“We believe there were parts coming out of this engine,” Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told a news conference, confirming engine failure but no fire. “There is one fatality,” Sumwalt said. The person killed was later revealed to be Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old bank executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to officials from her hometown and state as well as local media.

US media reported seven people were slightly injured.

“We are saying this is an engine failure,” Sumwalt said.

Southwest Airlines said flight 1380 had been en route from New York’s LaGuardia domestic airport to Dallas Love Field with 144 passengers and five crew members.

It landed at Philadelphia International Airport at 11.20am after the crew reported damage to one of the engines, the fuselage and at least one window, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that there is one fatality resulting from this accident.

“The entire Southwest Airlines family is devastated and extends its deepest, heartfelt sympathy to the customers, employees, family members, and loved ones affected by this tragic event,” the company said in a statement.

Riordan, who was a vice-president of community relations for Wells Fargo bank according to her LinkedIn profile, was described by local officials and media as a well-known community leader and philanthropist with two school-age children, whose husband Michael was their city’s former chief operations officer.

“Today, Albuquerque lost a thoughtful leader who has long been part of the fabric of our community ... this is a tremendous and tragic loss for Jennifer’s family and many others throughout our city,” tweeted Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller.

“Her leadership and philanthropic efforts made this a better place every day and she will be terribly missed.”

Tributes also came from New Mexico Senator Tom Udall and Governor Susana Martinez. – AFP