Captain who safely landed damaged Southwest flight was "there for a reason," friend says
The FAA is ordering airlines to inspect hundreds of jet engines similar to one that exploded on a Southwest flight, killing one and injuring seven others. Federal investigators say the blade that broke off and triggered a deadly accident on Flight 1380 Tuesday had microscopic cracks.
After the engine explosion pitched the aircraft 41 degrees to the left, the plane's pilot, Capt. Tammie Jo Shults, and her co-pilot, Darren Ellisor, steadied the 737 and began a rapid emergency descent. The two returned home Wednesday night and said, "We all feel we were simply doing our jobs. Our hearts are heavy."
"She's a very strong person, she's determined, she's authentic," Linda Maloney said of her longtime friend.
Flying together in the Navy, Maloney and Shults have been friends for more than 25 years. Maloney's book, "Military Fly Moms," partly highlights Shults' journey as a pilot. One of the first women to fly a fighter for the Navy and reaching the rank of lieutenant commander, Shults grew up near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and wanted to be a pilot since she was little.
"Tammy Jo was the heroine for that airplane. Those people, they call her a hero. And thank God, I really believe, that you know, just God had a hand on her, he had her in that place, and she was there for a reason," Maloney said.
The FAA's inspections of the older 737 engines will be announced in the next two weeks. It wants to know if and how many of these planes and engines – some of the most commonly used in the world – could be in danger.
"We are very concerned about this particular event, why did this happen? As far as trying to extrapolate that out to the entire fleet of 737s, I think that's unwarranted at this point," said NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt.
Passenger Jennifer Riordan's window was shattered after being hit by shrapnel from the engine. She was wearing her seatbelt but was nearly sucked out of the plane. Medical examiners say she was killed by blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and spine.
The incident is already prompting action in Washington. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton wants a hearing on aviation safety following this accident.
