A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N766SW performing flight WN-3472 from New Orleans,LA to Orlando,FL (USA) with 99 passengers and 5 crew, was climbing through FL310 out of New Orleans, about 80nm west of Pensacola,FL (USA) when the front section (engine inlet, fan and compressor section) of the left hand engine (CFM56) separated, debris impacted and punctured the left side of the fuselage causing a loss of cabin pressure. The crew initiated a descent to 10,000 feet and diverted the aircraft to Pensacola for a safe landing. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The airline reported the captain decided to divert the aircraft to Pensacola due to a mechanical issue with the #1 engine. The NTSB has been informed and opened an investigation.
The NTSB reported: “NTSB investigating incident involving a Southwest Airline fight that experienced uncontained engine failure, diverted to Pensacola Int’l.” (editorial note: we believe that is just a typo)
The Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association wrote: “A great job today by our professional SouthwestAir pilots! The best safety device is always a well-trained pilot.”
A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N908WN was dispatched to Pensacola and reached Orlando with a delay of 5 hours.
The Aviation Herald
