Former US Fighter Pilot Safely Lands Plane After Woman Is Partially Sucked Out Of Window

Cover Image: Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) examine the damage to the engine (Pictures: PA Images)

A former US Navy Fighter Pilot has safely landed a US passenger plane after a woman was partially sucked out of a window and an engine exploded in mid-air.

The Southwest Airlines plane, a twin-engined Boeing 737 flying from New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard, had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia after a window, wings and fuselage were damaged.

During the flight, a woman was partially sucked out of the plane due to sudden decompression.

Passengers pulled her back in but sadly she later died - she has been identified as Jennifer Riordan, a bank executive and mother of two from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She was the first passenger killed in an accident involving a US airline since 2009.

A transcript of the conversation between the pilots and officials on the ground shows one of the pilots asking for emergency services be ready for the landing.

Pilot Tammie Jo Shults, a former US Navy fighter pilot said: "Ok, could you have the medical meet us there on the runway as well. We've got injured passengers."

When asked if the plane was on fire, she replied:

"Not on fire but part of it is missing. They said there's a hole and someone went out."

Passengers commended Ms Shults for her cool-headed handling of the emergency. She walked down the aisle and talked to passengers to make sure they were ok after the plane touched down.

Alfred Tumlinson, a passenger said:

"She has nerves of steel. That lady, I applaud her.

"I'm going to send her a Christmas card, I'm going to tell you that, with a gift certificate for getting me on the ground. She was awesome."

The 56-year-old pilot was one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy, where she handled F-18 jets that were later used in the Gulf and Iraq War. 

It's believed Ms Shults had dreamed of a career in the skies since she was a child. 

But she was turned away from an aviation career day at her high school after being told they didn't accept girls. 

Later she went on to pursue a degree in medicine but after graduating she applied for the air force instead.

The National Transportation Safety Board said a preliminary examination of the blown engine from Flight 1380 showed evidence of "metal fatigue".

In a news conference, NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt said one of the engine's fan blades was separated and missing.

The blade was separated at the point where it would come into the hub and there was evidence of metal fatigue.

As a precaution, Southwest said it will inspect similar engines in its fleet over the next 30 days.

Mr Sumwalt said part of the engine covering was found in Bernville, Pennsylvania, about 70 miles west of Philadelphia.

Amanda Bourman, of New York, said she was asleep near the back of the plane when she heard a loud noise and oxygen masks dropped.

"Everybody was crying and upset. You had a few passengers that were very strong, and they kept yelling to people, you know, 'It's ok! We're going to do this!'"

Mr Tumlinson said a man in a cowboy hat rushed forward a few rows "to grab that lady to pull her back in. She was out of the plane. He couldn't do it by himself, so another gentleman came over and helped to get her back in the plane, and they got her".

Eric Zilbert, from California, said:

"From her waist above, she was outside of the plane."

Passengers struggled to plug the hole while giving the injured woman CPR.