Southwest Airline Mishap: Investigation and Aftermath

The investigation into the Southwest Airlines mishap was led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents in the United States.

The NTSB investigation found that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the engine's fan blade, which was later determined to be a manufacturing defect.

The airline's safety record prior to the incident was good, with a strong emphasis on safety training and regular maintenance checks.

The incident occurred on April 17, 2018, when a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas experienced a catastrophic engine failure, resulting in the death of one passenger and injury to several others.

As we dive into the preliminary findings of the Southwest Airlines mishap, one thing is clear: the incident was a result of a faulty engine that failed during flight.

The engine in question was a CFM56-7B engine, which is a widely used model in commercial aviation.

According to eyewitnesses, the engine exploded just 20 minutes into the flight, sending debris flying everywhere.

The plane was a Boeing 737-700, which is a common aircraft used by Southwest Airlines.

The pilots managed to land the plane safely, but not before one passenger suffered a fatal injury.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into the incident.

The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report on the incident within the next few weeks.

The investigation is ongoing, and it's too early to determine the exact cause of the engine failure.

The FAA has already begun inspecting CFM56-7B engines used on Boeing 737-700 aircraft.

The FAA has also issued a directive requiring airlines to inspect their CFM56-7B engines for any signs of wear or damage.

The NTSB Investigation into the Southwest Airlines Mishap was a thorough and detailed process.

The NTSB held an investigative hearing on November 14, 2018, where FAA Transport Standards Branch representative Victor Wicklund stated that production inlets were not required to be subjected to certification testing.

He also mentioned that if the inlets were included and test damage mirrored that of the accident aircraft, it would most likely constitute a certification failure.

The NTSB held a second investigative hearing on November 19, 2019, to further investigate the incident.

The NTSB issued five safety recommendations to the FAA, one to EASA, and one to Southwest Airlines as a result of their investigation.

Captain Shults, the pilot who was involved in the incident, wrote a book about her experience titled Nerves of Steel, which was published in the United States on October 8, 2019.

The reactions to the Southwest airline mishap were overwhelmingly positive. Elaine Chao, the United States Secretary of Transportation, commended the pilots who safely landed the aircraft and the crew and fellow passengers who provided support and care for the injured.

The incident received recognition from the highest levels of government. Martha McSally, then a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona, introduced a resolution in Congress commending Captain Shults.

The crew members and select passengers were personally thanked by U.S. President Donald Trump in a ceremony at the Oval Office of the White House. This ceremony took place on May 1, 2018, and was an opportunity for the President to express his gratitude for their heroism.

On Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, a portion of the plane's engine blew apart around 30 minutes into the flight, causing debris to fly into a window and shattering it.

The incident occurred at around 32,500 feet, with the plane descending to about 10,000 feet before leveling out. The engine was designed to contain any debris that might develop from an engine failure, but in this case, it failed to do so, resulting in an uncontained engine failure.

A female passenger was pulled toward the window of the plane when the window glass shattered, with some reports indicating she was partially pulled out of the window, though witnesses say she was pulled toward the window but not out of it.

The plane made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport, with the Federal Aviation Administration stopping some arrivals and departures at the airport while crews assisted the Southwest Airlines flight.

The plane had damage to the fuselage and one window, apparently adjacent to row 17.

In another incident, Southwest Airlines Flight 1496 took a dramatic plunge shortly after takeoff from Hollywood Burbank Airport in response to an alert about a nearby plane.

The plane dropped roughly 300 feet in 36 seconds, with passengers reporting that it felt like it was falling.

Two flight attendants were injured in the incident, with Southwest Airlines saying they were being treated for their injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, and Southwest Airlines is working with the FAA to understand the circumstances surrounding the event.

The plane continued to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully.

The NTSB held an investigative hearing on November 14, 2018, where FAA representative Victor Wicklund stated that the production inlets were not required to be subjected to certification testing.

The hearing revealed that the cowling may require design changes. The NTSB also held a second hearing on November 19, 2019, which led to the issuance of five safety recommendations to the FAA, one to EASA, and one to Southwest.

Captain Shults wrote a book about the incident titled Nerves of Steel, which was published in the United States on October 8, 2019. The book provides a personal account of the events.

The engine on the Southwest Airlines flight was a CFM International 56 turbofan engine, which experienced a violent event that caused the entire forward part of the engine to be explosively destroyed. CFM has reportedly sent representatives to the scene to assist in the investigation.

NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt told the media that the agency will be looking into whether an Airworthiness Directive (AD) issued by the FAA affected the CFM engine on the Southwest flight. A former NTSB member suggested that a ring around the engine failed, which likely contributed to the cabin's window breaking.

Our firm has extensive experience litigating against Southwest Airlines, having handled several high-profile cases, including the Southwest Airlines Flight 812 in-flight fuselage rupture, where a section of fuselage skin fractured and flapped open.

We've also litigated against Southwest Airlines in cases like Flight 1248, where a Boeing 737 crashed during a botched landing attempt at Midway International Airport, and Flight 1455, where the plane overshot the runway during a landing attempt at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport.

The common thread in these cases is the failure of the airline to ensure the safety of its passengers, which led to devastating consequences.

Our experience in handling in-flight accident cases is also unmatched, with a long list of notable cases, including JetBlue Flight 1416, where an in-flight emergency occurred, and US Airways Flight 797, where an in-flight incident resulted in significant damage.

The causes of these incidents often involve equipment failure, human error, or a combination of both, as seen in the United Airlines Flight 967 in-flight turbulence incident, where the probable cause was fatigue fracture of a high-pressure turbine stage 2 disk blade retaining lug.

Here are some of the notable cases we've handled: