Southwest passengers on flight with deadly engine failure get money, travel vouchers

ABC News ^ | 4/20/2018 | Courtney Han

[wastedyears]

Some passengers on the Southwest Airlines flight that experienced a deadly engine failure this week told ABC News they received money and the promise of a travel voucher from the airline.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I’m confused and admit upfront I know nothing of aircraft operations. But, what about the broken window, losing air pressure in the cabin, and a woman who died? Was it really that routine to land a damaged plane, where was not simply a matter of losing an engine but also flying a damaged aircraft with one good engine?

[jntrees]

It's still too early to tell. The engines are designed to take an impact like a fan blade separating. It likely comes down to something as simple as metal fatigue that recently happened. Could happen on any engine at any time. After the 2016 incident, SWA got aggressive in inspecting ALL fan blades, which exceeded directives from the FAA and CFM.

Law of averages I guess. SWA’s maintenance is not the issue at all, not even close.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Story from local Philly TV was that FAA had wanted all engines reinspected by a certain date, and Southwest had requested a thirty day extension of the deadline - accident happened within the thirty day period - could it be that some TV reporter got the story wrong?.....

[Slyfox]

For their pain and suffering? I think SouthWest Airlines did the right and most compassionate thing.

[jntrees]

SWA met and exceeded all directives from the FAA. I have no idea what some reporter stated. The directives stated that only specific fan blades be inspected. SWA went above and beyond to inspect ALL fan blades on all engines.

[texas booster]

I was on a Southwest flight that lost air pressure in 2014. A valve stuck open somewhere on the plane, masks dropped and the plane descended to FL100 and burned off fuel before landing. Great job by the pilots.

Southwest sent all of us a $300 unrestricted voucher for delaying the arrival due to mechanical reasons. Same voucher I would have gotten for any 3+ hour delay, whether in the terminal or in the air. IIRC it's an FAA directive.

Chincey? Probably. But they followed FAA regulations exactly. Had I wanted to sue, I believe I could have.

I suspect that there are no regulations on reparations for killing your passengers. This is a generous first step for delayed passengers, but it is not the end of the financial repercussions for Southwest.

Keep in mind that I have flown over 2 million miles on Southwest, and somewhere north of 1800 take offs.

[texas booster]

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/southwest-airlines-rapid-rewards/1904443-sw-1380-one-passenger-dead-uncontained-engine-failure-emergency-landing-phl-19.html

A link to a Flyertalk thread about the accident.

[texas booster]

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29665785-post279.html

A link to a Flyertalk thread discussing turbine fan blade failure testing.

[cpdiii]

“And what did the pilot get? She deserves to be the CEO of Southwest after what she did..”

What the pilot did was not extraordinary. She did perform her job 100% correctly. A 737-700 will fly and land quite happily on one engine. She followed procedure perfectly and is to be commended for this.

Prior to flying for Southwest she was an F-18 pilot in the Navy. She could land that fighter on the deck of a carrier at night in horrible weather. That is extraordinary!

ps
Fan disintegration is rare but does happen. When a fan disintegrates it becomes shrapnel. Those engines have a containment ring around the fan for this rare event. The containment ring failed. The NTSB will find out why and design changes in the containment ring may be warranted but at this time we do not know.

[mass55th]

Oh yeah, that will make me want to get right back on another Southwest plane.

Not.

[mass55th]

"Hopefully some free pretzels too"

I wouldn't accept it unless they offered nuts...which is what you'd have to be to wanna' fly with them again.

[jntrees]

One fatality since 1971...one. Think about the number of passengers and flights since then.

Maybe you’d be better off taking the bus or train.

[vette6387]

I am amazed, reading through the posts here, the avarice and greed displayed. Southwest is probably the best airline in the business. They have an exemplary record, and their crew did their jobs professionally and got that damaged aircraft on the ground with no further loss of life. Yet here you all are, disparaging the airline for trying to do what is right and proper. Getting the $hit scared out of you isn't a million dollar deal. Southwest will have to cover a whole lot more with respect to the woman who died, but this was a one in a million catastrophic failure and unless it can be proven otherwise that's all it was. It's a shame that we've gotten to the point where every inconvenience is grounds for a lawsuit.

[Jane Long]

This is a generous first step for delayed passengers, but it is not the end of the financial repercussions for Southwest.

---

Agree. No where near the end.

Just imagine the suit, by the family of the deceased, for one. Then, there are the next level of pax....those who pulled her back in to the aircraft and/or attempted to revive, then those seated immediately in that area, and so on.

This is SW’s first fatality, IIRC, right?

So sad, but what an amazing miracle, at the same time. I’ve read that her body (in the window) actually/possibly saved lives, whilst the plane was QUICKLY descending.

Also, this pilot was Heaven sent, IMO.

[Jane Long]

So, you’re saying you won’t fly commercial, any more?

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I think this was a preliminary payment to cover immediate costs that the passengers might have incurred.

[mass55th]

I haven’t flown since 2007, and before that I hadn’t flown for 25 years. At 70, there’s no place I need to get to that I can’t get to in a car.

[jntrees]

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne

If he goes by his tagline, maybe so. I hear trains and buses never crash.

[jyo19]

After having gone through a lawsuit - a process I don’t wish on anyone - I can tell you that the problem is lawyers. Even my own. They all have an awful, warped worldview. The whole thing is a game of “how much can you get” on one side and “how much can you limit what they get” on the other. It really is a game to them and that’s the problem. Things that happen to people like this are just an excuse for them to play their game and rack up billable hours doing so.

[Jane Long]

You sound like a couple of my family members.

I remind them that cars are less safe than airplanes, statistically.