Nervous flyers, it’s time to take a double dose of Xanax and carefully reconsider vacation options within driving distance. A Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia after one of its engines exploded, sending shrapnel through a window. One female passenger was injured, and according to a second-hand report of the accident, a passenger was partially pulled through the window opening.
Update: Federal investigators have confirmed that one passenger on board the flight died. Investigators say they don’t have any further information at this time. One passenger on board the plane posted that someone had a heart attack, although that remains unconfirmed.
Southwest Flight 1380 from LaGuardia to Dallas Love Field landed at Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday before noon and was immediately surrounded by emergency vehicles. Video from NBC DFW clearly shows a broken window on the engine side.
#BREAKING: You can see a broken window on this @SouthwestAir flight from LGA to DAL. It landed safely in Philadelphia https://t.co/D7xtrwIXJC pic.twitter.com/f8z4gGYqMR
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) April 17, 2018
Todd Bauer, the father-in-law of a passenger on the flight, spoke with NBC News, and gave his second-hand account of what happened. “Reciting his daughter-in-law’s account of the ordeal, Bauer said a female passenger was partially pulled from the aircraft and that nearby passengers pulled the woman back inside.”
“We left LaGuardia heading to Dallas and we were west of Philly when we lost the left-side engine and diverted to Philly,” a different passenger told ABC. “Shrapnel hit the window causing a serious injury. No other details about that. Several medical personnel on the flight tended to the injured passenger.”
Multiple outlets have reported that one passenger was taken to the hospital with injuries.
Southwest issued a statement saying that “We are in the process of gathering more information,” and confirming that the flight was diverted to Philadelphia.
Passengers have begun sharing images of the aftermath on social media:
