It began when fatigue cracks in the root of a fan blade were initiated by higher-than-expected stresses during normal engine operation. The cracks escaped detection during the repetitive fluorescent-penetrant inspections required at the time and ultimately led to the fan blade fracturing and precipitating an uncontained engine failure. A cabin window separated when shrapnel struck the airplane’s fuselage, and a passenger was killed after being partially ejected through the window frame. Eight other passengers sustained minor injuries during the rapid decompression. The flight crew diverted the flight to Philadelphia and conducted a successful single-engine landing.
The accident occurred during Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 from New York to Dallas the morning of April 17, 2018, said the report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). There were 144 passengers and five crewmembers aboard the Boeing 737-700 when it departed from La Guardia Airport. The captain, 56, h…
