Southwest Airlines Steps Up Engine Inspections Following Deadly Accident

A mid-air explosion of a commonly-used jet engine aboard a Southwest Airlines flight, in which one passenger died and seven others aboard were injured, is prompting the airline to examine all similar engines in its fleet for possible flaws.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the accident, said that a preliminary check of the damaged engine showed that the likely culprit was metal fatigue – which has been an issue for airlines in recent years.  Southwest, in fact, had a similar incident in 2016, and that same year an American Airlines 767 experienced a serious engine failure after takeoff from O’Hare.

What a flight! Made it!! Still here!! #southwest #flight1380 pic.twitter.com/Cx2mqoXVzY

— Joe Marcus (@joeasaprap) April 17, 2018

However, none of those previous incidents caused a fatality – and this week’s tragic accident puts an end to a nearly decade-long stretch of zero fatalities aboard commercial flights on U.S. carriers.

The incident began shortly after the Southwest 737 took off from New York’s LaGuardia, bound for Dallas, with 149 passengers and crew aboard.  After the engine exploded, shards of shrapnel flew into the fuselage and cracked a window, causing decompression and oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling.  The pilot made an emergency landing in Philadelphia; the airline later confirmed that one passenger, a businesswoman from New Mexico, had died.   

The NTSB said that a full investigation of the accident could take up to 12 to 15 months to complete. The FAA will also be involved; that agency, in fact, conducted a wide-ranging audit of Southwest’s maintenance operation ten years ago, after an investigation revealed an all-too-cozy relationship between federal inspectors and the airline company they were supposed to be monitoring.

The accident also comes on the heels of last weekend’s bombshell report on “60 Minutes”, of Allegiant Air, that questioned that budget airline’s maintenance practices and its aging aircraft – which the airline has said it’s phasing out in favor of newer models.