The only engines that ever fail like that belong to Southwest airlines.
I flew on a southwest 737 to and from Salt Lake City last month, and I survived ;)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1524006496.jpg

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Quantas

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I was on Maui when that convertible plane was still on the Tarmac, after seeing that, I've been very positive about keeping my seat belt on and snug. What a way to go, being sucked out a big opening like that.

Sure feel for the family of the lady that died in this incedent.

This one?
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1524009461.jpg

Terrifying. Thanks for sharing info on the pilot.

As an aside, one of our Pelican brothers is a pilot for SW and races with our local group. Like her he is a former military pilot. I once asked him what it is like to fly an F15. Even before the words came out I could tell what he was going to say by the look in his eyes.

RIP to the woman who passed away in this accident, and thoughts and prayers for her loved ones and colleagues. And of course thoughts and prayers for the survivors with physical and/or emotional injuries.

I read somewhere that an engine let go on a SW flight a few years ago.

Looked just like todays engine.

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It happened to a British Airways pilot in 1990. The cockpit window blew out at 17,000 ft. The captain was lucky. A flight attendant grabbed his legs and kept him from being sucked out of the plane. The cause was incorrect windscreen fasteners. The window was just replaced.
I saw this on a tv show called Mayday.

Terrible scary story! RIP.


That said the statistics for commercial airline safety are pretty great.

Oh and I’m gong to rethink my “window seat right over the wing” habit. Poor lady.

Agreed, I have a better chance of being killed driving to and from the airport than I do flying.

I never hesitate to fly.

Yep. Nobody since 2009 has died in a commercial incident including commuters.
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/data/Pages/paxfatal.aspx
VS cars in the US. 110 a day in 2017
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/02/16/480956.htm

Well since the majority of 737s use the same engine, you will need to choose your flights carefully. To make you feel worse, The fan blades which blew apart were inspected on Sunday.

The news says her arms and head were outside the plane. Pretty traumatic way to go.

They aren't rated to do 6000 feet.
Reduced Cabin Altitude System

The pressurisation system of all series of 737 ensures that the cabin altitude does not climb above approx 8,000ft in normal operation. However in 2005 the BBJ was certified to operate with a reduced cabin altitude of 6,500ft at 41,000ft (ΔP of 8.99psid above 37,000ft) to increase passenger comfort. The payback for this is a 20% reduction in airframe life cycles, ie from the standard 75,000 down to 60,000 cycles. This is not a problem for a low utilisation business jet but would be unacceptable in airline operation where some aircraft are operating 10 sectors a day.
http://www.b737.org.uk/pressurisation.htm

Yup, and 8,000 ft is not an arbitrary number, it's what the CFR regs call for.
Basically, for any pressurized A/C there is a requirement that the cabin alt. cannot exceed 8,000 ft, regardless of the plane's service ceiling.

That’s cool if you’re just afraid of flying but if safety is your concern, you could spend the next 400 years on commercial airline flights 365 days a year and the odds would be ridiculous in your favor.

^ yeah, risk of cancer goes way up.

Risk of TSA abuse goes way up too. :eek:

But yeah, at any given time there are over 10,000 commercial jets in the sky. It's amazing that this type of thing doesn't happen more often.

Anyway, I expect that PWD's not wanting to fly has less to do with fear for his life and more to do with just how bleck it's become.

She would have been unconscious instantly... fortunately.

Makes me rethink that window seat option !

It is interesting how far back from the front of the engine the blown out window is located. I would have thought it would have been closer to the leading edge of the engine.

It could have been worse. Kudos to the captain and crew for getting it back on the ground without additional casualties.

Yup. I fly a lot and never worry about it.

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That is a calm Navy pilot handling a tough situation. Well done.

Amazing coordination amongst the various ground contacts and the aircrew. Not even one "oh crap". The pilot thought she lost a passenger by ejection and she was as cool as , well I don't know what.

I don't fly Southwest, mostly because I don't want to ride the cattle-cars but also, Hobby is much less convenient than IAH (Bush). I also do not see a much difference when I checked the ticket prices.

No doubt, air travel is tons safer than car or train or bus or certainly rail roads.

My only complaint of airlines is like all others, the cattle call, stampede and roundup of the "valued customers" they call passengers. My last flight to Washington DC the flight we were on was delayed and my connecting flight left within 2 minutes of us touching down. I had a 6 hour layover and arrived at midnight to my hotel in DC. The entire flight sucked.

Just WOW!!! Amazing coordination by all. How those folks can keep their cool is beyond me! Very professional. Sad that the passenger died.

I generally only fly a few times a year and I'm okay with it. Now driving over tall bridges (me behind the wheel), well that's a thread I've been meaning to start...

Remember the A/C was travelling at +/- 500 mph at the time of the incident.

+1 on all.

The stand out IMO was approach ATC. That guy was ON IT. Nicely done sir.

And well done Capt. for getting down and finding a suitable runway ASAP. That was engine failure @ FL325 to PHL vector to parking brake in 20 minutes. Outstanding.

Good job all and RIP to the lost soul...

I consider myself being slightly anal in checking what type of airplane I'm booking.

AFAIK there is no way to know what type of engines are on the plane I am booking?

Years ago they would have held that flight for you for 10 minutes. Now you are SOL.

My major complaint about airlines is that your civil rights are suspended "curb to curb". From the second you step foot in the airport at your origin to the second you leave the airport at the destination, you basically have no civil rights. You are subject to intrusive searches, security gawking at (if not taking pictures of) your genitals, and you are at the whims of the airline through the whole process and they are not obligated to get you anywhere by any time. Any complaining about your treatment can result in airline employees intentionally delaying you, sending your luggage to a different city, or sending cops onto the plane to knock your teeth out and drag you off unconscious.

I stopped flying in 2014 when I basically came to the conclusion that I wasn't willing to give up my rights and pay a huge premium for the possibility that I may make my destination faster than driving.

Spot on.

Not her first multi-engine type...

She was the first woman to pilot an F-18...

The single blade (#13) that broke loose first traveled forward when it broke (unusual) so that it was no longer inside the containment case.

Then rearward (slipstream).

Until it and/or part of the nacelle hit the window...

Gotta wonder if she had her seat belt on?

Yeah, I wondered that also. About 25 years ago I watched as a 10 yo boy bounced around the cabin during severe turbulence. One minute he was yelling at his mother and refusing to wear his seat belt and the next minute he was strapped in a crying like a baby. I always wear mine and rarely get up except to deplane.