Here's what happened on fatal Southwest Airlines flight

Benjamin Zhang

Apr 20, 2018, 00:52 IST

Here's what happened on fatal Southwest Airlines flight

Amanda Bourman/AP

The engine on a Southwest Airlines plane is inspected as it sits on the runway at the Philadelphia International Airport after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday suffering a major engine failure.
Passenger Jennifer Riordan died as a result of the incident, while seven others were treated for their injuries.
Investigators believe the engine failed when one of its fan blades snapped off mid-flight.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport on Tuesday after suffering a catastrophic engine failure and cabin decompression. One passenger, Jennifer Riordan, died as a result of the incident. It's the first fatality on board a US commercial airliner since 2009.

Since Tuesday's incident, Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights bearing the 1380 designation. The aircraft operating the flight is a Boeing 737-7H4 tail number N772SW. It's a 17.8-year-old aircraft that was first delivered to Southwest Airlines in July 2000.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, investigators believe the left engine on Southwest Flight 1380 failed when one of its 24 titanium alloy fan blades snapped off mid-flight. The violent event caused the front cowling of the engine to disintegrate, firing shrapnel into the cabin of the aircraft.

The engine in question is a CFM56 turbofan. It's the product of a 40-year-old joint venture between GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft Engines called CFM International.

The CFM56 is arguably the safest and one of the most popular jet engines in the world with more than 30,000 units produced since 1980 and is used on both civilian and military aircraft. The CFM56-7B debuted in 1997 and currently powers more than 6,700 planes in the world.

In August 2016, Southwest Flight 3472, another CFM56-powered Boeing 737, suffered an eerily similar failure. Fortunately, no one was injured in that incident.

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told the NTSB on Tuesday that the airline would inspect its entire fleet of more than 710 CFM56-powered Boeing 737s using ultrasonic technology. The ultrasonics are used to scan the engine's fan blades for microscopic cracks that can be caused by metal fatigue.

Here's how the events on Flight 1380 unfolded:

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Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York Tuesday morning at 10:43 am. The flight was headed for Love Field in Dallas, Texas before continuing on to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Around 11:03 am while flying at 32,500 ft and 496 mph over Eastern Pennsylvania, the left engine on the 737 failed.

The violent event caused the front cowling of the engine to disintegrate, firing shrapnel into the fuselage of the aircraft.

The explosive force of the engine failure pushes the jet to bank sharply to the left. Captain Tammie Jo Shults and First Officer Darren Ellisor soon regain control of the plane.

Unfortunately, Riordan, a 43-year-old mother of two died from trauma to her head, neck, and torso in spite her fellow passengers' efforts to resuscitate her. The NTSB confirmed that Riordan was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the incident.

The stricken Boeing 737 lands in Philadelphia at 11:23 am. According to the NTSB, the damage to the aircraft forced the crew to use an alternative flap setting to improve controllability. However, this also forced the plane to land at 190 mph, about 35mph faster than a normal landing.

Passengers exit the aircraft via airstairs and are transported to the terminal.

At 3:00 pm, NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt announces a team of investigators are heading to Philadelphia. Sumwalt also confirms Riordan's death. Although, her identity would not be made public until a few hours later.

At 4:30 pm, NTSB investigators arrive on the scene. The aircraft's cockpit voice and flight data recorders are recovered and sent back to Washington D.C. for analysis. Investigators also conduct a preliminary evaluation off the engine.

At 5:21 pm, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly issues a video message expressing his condolences and support for Riordan's family.

At 9:00 pm, NTSB chairman Sumwalt announces at a press conference that fan blade #13 of 24 broke, snapping off near the central hub. Investigators found evidence of metal fatigue in the area where the blade failed.

In addition, the NTSB located parts of the engine cowling 60 miles north of Philadelphia.

During the press conference, Sumwalt announces that Southwest will use ultrasonic technology to inspect its entire fleet of CFM56-powered jets.

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