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posted by martyb on Thursday April 19 2018, @08:57AM   Printer-friendly
from the lots-of-groundings-and-inspections-coming dept.

In an excellent article, jam-packed with details, The Seattle Times reports: (Javascript required)

One passenger died and several others were injured [April 18] when a Boeing 737 operated by Southwest en route from New York to Dallas suffered a serious engine blowout. Shrapnel broke a passenger window and penetrated the fuselage, forcing an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

[...] Southwest Flight 1380 [...] suffered a serious engine blowout 20 minutes into the flight at 32,500 feet

[...] The left engine exploded with such force that shrapnel penetrated the aircraft's fuselage and broke a window in the passenger cabin, causing depressurization and the deployment of oxygen masks.

The pilots--Capt. Tammie Jo Shults and an unidentified co-pilot--guided the plane carrying 144 passengers and five crew to a smooth landing. According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, the jet landed 20 minutes after the explosion.

Emergency vehicles drenched the damaged left engine in foam to prevent a fire as passengers exited the plane via stairs on the right side.

The woman who died was identified by Albuquerque TV news station KOAT as Jennifer Riordan, 43, a mother of two children and vice president of community relations at Wells Fargo in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In preliminary briefings, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Robert Sumwalt said that inspection of the damaged engine revealed that one of the titanium blades on the big fan had broken off at the root, and that there was evidence of metal fatigue at the site where it broke.

He said metal fatigue is a major problem.

[...] Southwest CEO [Gary Kelly] said the airplane had undergone a routine maintenance inspection two days earlier, on April 15.

Fox Business notes

The engines [...] were built by CFM, a joint venture between U.S.-based General Electric and French company Safran Aircraft Engines.

[...] The CFM56-7B model is the exclusive engine of Boeing's "737 Next Generation" of aircraft--a partnership which began in July 1993 and includes the 700 series--and produces 19,500 to 27,300 pounds of thrust, the company said. The engines have been in use since 1997 and power more than 6,700 aircraft globally.


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  • (Score: 2) by Spamalope on Thursday April 19 2018, @03:08PM (1 child)

    by Spamalope (5233) on Thursday April 19 2018, @03:08PM (#669129) Homepage

    Actually with the engine separated it'd be easier to fly. It'd reduce drag on the side missing the thrust so the offset to correct would be reduced. In the real world, possible damage to the control systems on the wing would be a serious problem.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 20 2018, @01:11AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 20 2018, @01:11AM (#669434)

    with the engine separated

    Is that why the photos of the doomed plane show it tipped over 90 degrees?

    It unbalanced the aircraft, of course,
    It also tore loose fuel lines.
    I suspect that it also damaged control mechanisms (hydraulic lines ripped open?).

    I do remember hearing about another 3-engine plane where the center engine came apart violently and damaged hydraulic lines, causing loss of control.

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