One Dead After Southwest Flight Blows Engine, Makes Emergency Landing
(CBS) -- One passenger died after a Southwest Airlines jet made an emergency landing at Philadelphia's airport Tuesday after apparently blowing an engine.
Seven other passengers were treated for minor injuries at the scene, authorities said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Southwest said 143 passengers and five crew members were on the plane. The plane was flying from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Dallas.
Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel says firefighters responded to an engine fire and fuel leak around 11:10 a.m. Thiel says a passenger was taken to the hospital in critical condition. However, the NTSB says the passenger has died.
Thiel added that 12 other passengers were assessed and seven were treated on scene for minor injuries. He lauded the passengers and crew for how they responded during the incident.
"It is our understanding that passengers onboard the aircraft, in addition to the flight crew and the cabin crew, did some pretty amazing things under very difficult circumstances," said Thiel.
The NTSB will be arriving on the scene later today to begin their investigation. The plane's recorders have been secured.
Passenger Marty Martinez did a brief Facebook Live posting while wearing an oxygen mask shortly after the engine blew. He posted, "Something is wrong with our plane! It appears we are going down! Emergency landing!! Southwest flight from NYC to Dallas!!"
Something is wrong with our plane! It appears we are going down! Emergency landing!! Southwest flight from NYC to Dallas!!
Posted by Marty Martinez on Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Martinez told CBSN that he thought it was his last few minutes alive when the plane was free-falling.
"We were probably going down for 10 or 15 minutes. And, of course, everyone is freaking out, everyone is crying. It was the scariest experience," said Martinez.
The FAA said the plane landed after "the crew reported damage to one of the aircraft's engines, as well as the fuselage and at least one window."
Passengers walked off the plane on the tarmac at the airport. Footage from the scene showed damage to the left engine of the plane and the tarmac covered in foam from fire crews.
Passengers on board posted on social media that the plane was en route to Dallas when something happened.
In the interview with CBSN, Martinez said an engine exploded and broke a window.
"First there was an explosion and almost immediately, the oxygen masks came down and, probably within a matter of 10 seconds, the engine then hit a window and busted it wide open," said Martinez.