Woman Partially Sucked Out of Jet When Window Breaks Mid-Flight

[Perd Hapley]

https://www.dailywire.com/news/29565/heroic-female-pilot-flying-planes-gives-me-hank-berrien

[AJ Dual]

From the linked article it looks like fatigue failure at the blade root caused a rotor burst event.  Containment structure failed to contain the shrapnel some of which penetrated the window.  Woman sucked out to her waist or hips.  Other pax pulled her back in, but between direct trauma, exposure to 500mph winds at 30k+ feet, and shock she didn't survive.

I'm not making light, I seriously would like to go out like that in some kind of unusual catastrophe, and be a nice 7 figure paycheck for my family, than die of something like cancer, or stupidly, like a slip in the shower.

[just Warren]

True, you only get to die once; so make it epic.

[Angel Eyes]

https://www.dailywire.com/news/29565/heroic-female-pilot-flying-planes-gives-me-hank-berrien

More than a few prayers said on that flight, I'm sure.

[Fly320s]

From the photos I've seen online, getting one piece of shrapnel to hit that window and break it was a lucky shot.  I didn't see any other damage to the fuselage in that area.

[French G.]

I think it's awfully early to say fatigue failure. You say that when pieces are in hand and analyzed in a lab and all the life limited components have had their records reviewed. Nothing in a motor is of indeterminate age and its life is well documented whether by hours or event cycles. Obviously the fan grenaded. Why will come later.

And as many jet engines that I have been under while powered I always knew where the plane of the turbine was and endeavored to not linger there.

[MechAg94]

I'm not making light, I seriously would like to go out like that in some kind of unusual catastrophe, and be a nice 7 figure paycheck for my family, than die of something like cancer, or stupidly, like a slip in the shower.

I thought I saw somewhere that she was hit by the shrapnel that came through the window.  I didn't see anything about the degree to which she was sucked out.

[AJ Dual]

I thought I saw somewhere that she was hit by the shrapnel that came through the window.  I didn't see anything about the degree to which she was sucked out.

I think it's probably grossly overstated. She might have been sucked up against the window or toward the window if her seatbelt wasn't on. But halfway out doesn't seem possible. And if she was, the lexan shards still in the window frame would probably been as fatal if not more than the fragments from the unscheduled rapid disassembly of the engine.

[Hawkmoon]

I think it's awfully early to say fatigue failure. You say that when pieces are in hand and analyzed in a lab and all the life limited components have had their records reviewed. Nothing in a motor is of indeterminate age and its life is well documented whether by hours or event cycles. Obviously the fan grenaded. Why will come later.

And as many jet engines that I have been under while powered I always knew where the plane of the turbine was and endeavored to not linger there.

Except that there have been previous failures of this type, coincidentally (or not) involving this model aircraft, this model engine, and this airline. If you've seen a previous failure and then you come across a new failure that looks an awful lot like the previous one(s), it's natural to formiulate an early theory as to cause.

Plane of the engine didn't apply in this case. The shattered part of the engine was forward of the wing, and the window that was taken out was aft of the wing root.

[Hawkmoon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5626379/Southwest-Airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-Philadelphia-engine-blows-out.html

The jet's CFM56-7B engines were made by CFM International, jointly owned by General Electric and Safran Aircraft Engines of France. CFM said in a statement that the CFM56-7B has had 'an outstanding safety and reliability record' since its debut in 1997, powering more than 6,700 aircraft worldwide.

Last year, the engine maker and the Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to make ultrasonic inspections of the fan blades of engines like those on the Southwest jet. The FAA said the move was prompted by a report of a fan blade failing and hurling debris. But it was unclear whether the particular engine that failed on Tuesday was covered by the directives.

'There's a ring around the engine that's meant to contain the engine pieces when this happens,' said John Goglia, a former NTSB member. 'In this case it didn't. That's going to be a big focal point for the NTSB - why didn't (the ring) do its job?'

In 2016, a Southwest Boeing 737-700 blew an engine as it flew from New Orleans to Orlando, Florida, and shrapnel tore a 5-by-16-inch hole just above the wing. The plane landed safely. The NTSB said a fan blade had broken off, apparently because of metal fatigue.

[Hawkmoon]

I think it's probably grossly overstated. She might have been sucked up against the window or toward the window if her seatbelt wasn't on. But halfway out doesn't seem possible. And if she was, the lexan shards still in the window frame would probably been as fatal if not more than the fragments from the unscheduled rapid disassembly of the engine.

Witness reports were that she was out through the window to her hips. It is possible. A number of years ago a pilot was sucked mostly out of the cockpit when his side window shattered. A flight attendant inside the cockpit grabbed onto his legs while the copilot descended and landed the aircraft.

The pilot survived!

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/flight-5390/

[dogmush]

So kind of in concert with Hawkmoon's post:

Go to this link and look at pictures 25 and 26: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Southwest-Airlines-Emergency-Landing-Engine-PHL-480013443.html

They show a pretty intact engine, that's nacelle has been blown away.  Comparing it with pictures of intact 737's it doesn't look like the fan, or any of the compressor stages exploded. In fact you can clearly see the front fan, including the little spiral they paint on the center cone, as well as the intact compressor housings.

Picture 25 does kinda look like ONE blade on the fan is missing.

It looks like the majority of the debris was engine nacelle rather than actual engine, which would kind fit with hitting the fuselage aft of the wing.  Chunks of nacelle coming off wouldn't have the angular momentum of pieces of high RPM engine would.

[dogmush]

Witness reports were that she was out through the window to her hips. It is possible. A number of years ago a pilot was sucked mostly out of the cockpit when his side window shattered. A flight attendant inside the cockpit grabbed onto his legs while the copilot descended and landed the aircraft.

The pilot survived!

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/flight-5390/

There was a Navy LT a while back that half ejected from the right seat of an A-6 intruder, and hung out out there in the Windstream until the pilot could land.

http://www.gallagherstory.com/ejection_seat/

[MechAg94]

Mythbusters did a show on people shooting out a window or the side of the fuselage.  I think they tested whether someone would get sucked out.  It would be interesting to simulate that at speeds say in a wind tunnel.  In flight would be awesome, I just don't know how they would do that safely without huge costs.

[Jim147]

There is a reason why I always have the belt on loose unless I'm headed to the bathroom.

Jim

[Scout26]

It looks more like something(s) hit the nacelle, rather than any of fans spontaneously self-disassembling.  I do see that at least one blade is missing, but it looks more like the result of something impacting the nacelle and shrapnel from that impact knocking off that blade.  I am impressed that the rest of the fan didn't explode once out of balance from the missing blade.

And whatever impacted the window, would cause it to blow OUT, and not into the cabin. 

[Hawkmoon]

Picture 25 does kinda look like ONE blade on the fan is missing.

Actually, it looks a LOT like one blade has gone AWOL.

[Hawkmoon]

Mythbusters did a show on people shooting out a window or the side of the fuselage.  I think they tested whether someone would get sucked out.  It would be interesting to simulate that at speeds say in a wind tunnel.  In flight would be awesome, I just don't know how they would do that safely without huge costs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gKHzfGhjQo

[Hawkmoon]

Example of everything that's wrong with "journalism" today:

http://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/connecticut-man-who-was-on-ill-fated-plane-describes-experience/1127941207

Television station in New Haven, Connecticut. Nowhere near the location of the incident, but apparently not content to just rebroadcast photos, videos and statements from other sources, so they bring in an expert -- an aviation medical examiner (i.e. a doctor), who proceeds to expond on matters about which he likely has very little knowledge, and what knowledge he has is not as a result of his profession. His expert commentary was derived from ... watching cell phone videos taken by passengers.

To make their interview with the doctor look more authoritative, they staged it with a chain link fence and some airplanes in the background. Not THE airplane -- not even commercial, passenger planes. Just small, general aviation aircraft. It was probably filmed outside New Haven airport (which, last I knew, was basically an aviation footnote).

Comic relief for a boring Wednesday.

[Boomhauer]

Some AMEs are pilots others are just quacks who happen to be granted the authority to do a rather basic official physical. This one sounds like the latter

[Hawkmoon]

Some AMEs are pilots others are just quacks who happen to be granted the authority to do a rather basic official physical. This one sounds like the latter

Not disputing that he could be a pilot. I could be a pilot, too -- but I'm not a commercial airline pilot and neither is he, and he's also not an aviation accident investigator. He's a doctor who should not be commenting on things his expertise doesn't cover.

[MechAg94]

Not disputing that he could be a pilot. I could be a pilot, too -- but I'm not a commercial airline pilot and neither is he, and he's also not an aviation accident investigator. He's a doctor who should not be commenting on things his expertise doesn't cover.

But then he wouldn't get paid.

[T.O.M.]

My flying experience is limited to video games and computer flight simulators, but it would seem to me that having the engine suddenly stop, and a hole to develop in the side of the plane would make continued flight and landing pretty challenging, to say the least.  Heard the radio traffic between the pilot and tower.  Man, she's got ice water in her veins.  Maybe you make enough carrier landings, this doesn't spike your BP much at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyHdFqIvppg

It's a clip from Inside Edition with the audio, and pictures showing the pilot checking on the passengers after the landing, 

[sumpnz]

I think it's awfully early to say fatigue failure. You say that when pieces are in hand and analyzed in a lab and all the life limited components have had their records reviewed. Nothing in a motor is of indeterminate age and its life is well documented whether by hours or event cycles. Obviously the fan grenaded. Why will come later.

And as many jet engines that I have been under while powered I always knew where the plane of the turbine was and endeavored to not linger there.

If you can look at the fractured face of the bit remaining in the hub it's pretty obvious if it was fatigue vs something else.  Fatigue failures leave characteristic marks on the surface.  Plus, as noted by others, that engine has had fatigue failures, and enough problems to lead to an AD.

[KD5NRH]

My flying experience is limited to video games and computer flight simulators, but it would seem to me that having the engine suddenly stop, and a hole to develop in the side of the plane would make continued flight and landing pretty challenging, to say the least.

Other than the need to get folks down to a better breathing altitude RFN, a window-sized hole shouldn't make a lot of difference to the pilot.  Losing an engine is pretty heavily covered in multi-engine training, and I'd assume each stage of training thereafter.  Plus, I suspect a 737 would have to be on the verge of coming apart at every seam before it could get as sporty as a F-18 would be in normal flight.