Incident
On April 17, 2018, at approximately 1103 Eastern Daylight Time, Southwest Airlines flight 1380, a Boeing 737-7H4 registered as N772SW, encountered a left engine failure while climbing through flight level 320 en route to its assigned cruise altitude. The flight had departed from LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, about 30 minutes earlier. The crew initiated an emergency descent and diverted to Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sequence of Events
Following the engine failure, portions of the left engine inlet and fan cowl separated from the aircraft. Fragments from these components struck the left wing, the left-side fuselage, and the left horizontal stabilizer. One fan cowl fragment impacted the left-side fuselage near a cabin window, causing the window to depart the airplane. This event resulted in a rapid depressurization of the cabin.
Aftermath
The airplane landed safely at Philadelphia International Airport approximately 17 minutes after the engine failure occurred. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Among the 144 passengers and 5 crewmembers on board, one passenger received fatal injuries, and eight passengers received minor injuries. The flight, a regularly scheduled domestic passenger service, was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 and was destined for Dallas Love Field in Dallas, Texas.