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1 Killed After Engine Failure Forces Southwest Airlines Flight To Make Emergency Landing

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A Southwest Airlines plane has made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport after an engine blew out as the plane left LaGuardia Airport in New York on Tuesday morning.

Officials said one person was killed, the NTSB confirmed.

The plane landed safely and taxied to a remote area of the runway where passengers were taken off.

Southwest Flight Makes Unscheduled Stop: The flight from New York to Dallas stopped in Philadelphia after a problem during the flight

Southwest Flight Makes Unscheduled Stop: The flight from New York to Dallas stopped in Philadelphia after a problem during the flight

Posted by CBS Denver on Tuesday, April 17, 2018

"Southwest Airlines flight 1380, which departed LaGuardia for Dallas Love Field, diverted to PHL because of an operational event. The plane landed safely. No slides were deployed," the airline said in a statement.

Southwest Airlines says there were 143 passengers and five crew members on board the flight.

Marty Martinez, a passenger on the plane, posted a Facebook Live during the emergency landing. He was wearing an oxygen mask.

"Something is wrong with our plane! It appears we are going down! Emergency landing!! Southwest flight from NYC to Dallas!!" he wrote.

Posted by Marty Martinez on Tuesday, April 17, 2018

"Engine exploded (we think) and shattered one of the windows," Martinez added later. "Flight attendants ran over calling for passengers to help cover the hole as they broke down and began uncontrollably crying and looking horrified as they looked outside."

"Plane dropped dramatically and it smelled like fire with ash coming down on everyone thru the vents. Absolutely terrifying, but we are okay." he later commented.

In an interview with CBSN, Martinez said an engine exploded and broke a window.

"First there was an explosion and almost immediately, the oxygen masks came down and, probably within a matter of 10 seconds, the engine then hit a window and busted it wide open," said Martinez.

Martinez says a woman was critically injured. She later died.

"There was blood everywhere," Martinez explained.

Martinez told CBSN that he thought it was his last few minutes alive when the plane was free-falling.

"We were probably going down for 10 or 15 minutes. And, of course, everyone is freaking out, everyone is crying. It was the scariest experience," said Martinez.

Another passenger tweeted a photo of the damaged engine.

Another passenger spoke to CNN about the emergency landing.

"We left LaGuardia heading to Dallas and we were west of Philly when we lost the left-side engine and diverted to Philly. Shrapnel hit the window causing a serious injury. No other details about that. Several medical personnel on the flight tended to the injured passenger."

The airport says passengers should expect delays following the emergency landing.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN contributed to this report.)

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