Hero Who Landed Southwest Flight Is Former US Navy Pilot
By Cody Briana on April 19, 2018
Tammie Jo Shults is being deemed a hero by many and rightfully so. The pilot, who safely landed Southwest Flight 1380 at Philadelphia airport on Tuesday, was a former U.S. Navy pilot. In fact, Popular Mechanics reports she was one of the 1st women to fly the F/A-18.
I’m assuming her military training is what kept her so calm. Her air traffic control call during the incident, that left a mother of 2 dead, was incredibly composed. All while attempting to land a plane without an engine, a hole in it and injured passengers.
“She has nerves of steel. 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,” passenger Alfred Tumlinson told the Associated Press. “The lady, the crew, everything, everybody was immaculate.”
I can’t help but think if it weren’t for Shults’ training, the situation could’ve been worse. Unfortunately, one passenger lost their life, 43-year-old Wells Fargo executive Jennifer Riordan. Shrapnel from the shredded engine smashed a window and nearly sucked her out of the jet. Fellow passengers pulled her back and performed CPR to no avail.
@SouthwestAir These are the hero’s of SWA 1380 NYC to Dallas We lost an engine mid-flight and they guided back to Philly saved 149 on board pic.twitter.com/RNA8sXRBZA
— Dr. Kristopher Johnson (@VVHS_DrJohnson) April 17, 2018
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