Southwest Pilot Safely Lands Plane Saving 100s After Engine Explodes Mid-Air.

It is always tragic when an accident claims someone’s life.

Yet it’s important to recognize the actions of the trained professionals who stay calm under unthinkably stressful circumstances. Without their training and heroism, many more lives could have been lost. As we struggle to comprehend a horrific accident that happened onboard a Southwest Air Boeing 737, passengers are praising their pilot for managing to safely guide the damaged aircraft to the ground, preventing even further devastation.

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The incident occurred about 20 minutes into a routine flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Texas. Suddenly, the aircraft’s left engine exploded, sending shrapnel flying into the side of the plane.

Sadly, passenger Jennifer Riordan of New Mexico was badly injured during the event, and she later died from her injuries. Seven other people were also injured.

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As the plane rapidly began to descend from 32,000 feet, the cabin depressurized and passengers were forced to use supplemental oxygen. Panic ensued, and many passengers feared that they were experiencing their last moments on earth.

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Thankfully, pilot Tammie Jo Shults was in the cockpit on this fateful flight. Shults, a 56-year-old wife and mother of two from Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, has been training for this type of accident her entire life.

After graduating from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas in 1983, Shults joined the Navy and became one of its first female fighter pilots. She was also the first woman to ever fly a supersonic F/A-18. In the Navy, Shults became adept at landing her fighter plane on ships while going 150 mph. She later became an instructor before becoming a commercial pilot.

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“She has nerves of steel,†passenger Alfred Tumlinson stated. “That lady, I applaud her. I’m going to send her a Christmas card – I’m going to tell you that – with a gift certificate for getting me on the ground. She was awesome.â€

Shults was able to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia, avoiding further injury to the precious souls aboard.

The cockpit recordings, which you can listen to below, reveal how cool, calm, and collected the pilot remained throughout this ordeal.

"We have a part of the aircraft missing": Listen to the dramatic communications between the pilot of Southwest flight 1380 and air traffic control as plane from NYC comes into Philadelphia for emergency landing https://t.co/CgWfJH1DhY pic.twitter.com/QKmWOXNJ0r

— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) April 17, 2018

Shults managed to relay critical information to air traffic control while maneuvering the badly damaged plane.  “Southwest 1380, we’re single engine,”she said during the distress call. “We have part of the aircraft missing, so we’re going to need to slow down a bit.â€

Amid the mayhem aboard the plane, Shults was a calming presence for both the passengers and the crew.

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“A huge thank you to the Southwest Crew & Pilot Tammie Jo Shults for their knowledge and bravery under these circumstances. God bless each one of them,”passenger Diana McBride Self wrote on Facebook.

Shults’ brother-in-law, Gary Shults, revealed that Tammie Jo is married to fellow Southwest pilot, Dean Marcus Shults. “My brother says she’s the best pilot he knows,” Gary said. “She’s a very caring, giving person who takes care of lots of people. She’s a formidable woman, as sharp as a tack.”

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Once the plane was safely on the ground, Shults left the cockpit and walked through the aisles, personally checking on each passenger to make sure they were okay.

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Thanks to Shults and the rest of the crew, 142 passengers and five crew members are alive today. While it’s horrible that this accident had to happen at all, it’s comforting to know that there are such dedicated, well-trained professionals working behind the scenes to guide us to safety.

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Please share this story to recognize the heroism of Captain Tammie Jo Shults.