Southwest Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Explodes Midair, 1 Passenger Dead

#Roommates, we are sad to report that one person lost their life today on a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas after the engine exploded in midair. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia where the fire department found a fuel leak and a fire in one of the aircraft’s two engines.

According to The New York Times, the exact nature of the failure is still unclear but the National Transportation Safety Board said they “do know that parts came off the engine.” They are currently “classifying this as an engine failure.”

At least seven people were reportedly treated for minor injuries and one person is confirmed dead.

A passenger named Marty Martinez said the plane “felt like it was free-falling” for 10 or 15 minutes. “Once that window exploded and to see the flight attendants crying, we knew something was really bad,” he told CBS News.

“This is a sad day,” Gary Kelly, Southwest’s chief executive said in a YouTube video. “On behalf of the entire Southwest family I want to extend my deepest sympathies for the family and the loved ones of our deceased customer.”