© Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
Part of the plane's engine ripped off and damaged the jet. A woman was partially sucked out of the aircraft when the cabin rapidly depressurized, it is understood she was the fatally injured victim.
Flight 1380 took off from LaGuardia Airport at 10.27am local time, bound for Dallas. Less than an hour later, the pilot of the Southwest aircraft was forced to take emergency action due to engine damage.
One passenger's father-in-law said the impact of the engine piece striking the plane window was so severe that a female passenger was partially sucked out of the cabin.
"One passenger, a woman, was partially ... was drawn out towards the out of the plane ... was pulled back in by other passengers," he told Philadelphia-based NBC affiliate WCAU. The woman was reportedly rushed to hospital. It is not clear whether any other passengers were injured.
The unidentified pilot of the plane informed ground control that she had a "part of the aircraft missing" and that the crew "said there is a hole and someone went out."
According to Flight Aware, which tracks the flight paths of commercial airlines, the passenger plane set down at Philadelphia International Airport at 11.23am. The aircraft landed safely and passengers are now being transported to the terminal, a statement from the airport read.
Images taken by passengers on board the stricken Boeing 737 plane show significant damage to the left engine.
"What a flight! Made it! Still here," wrote one passenger.
Another clearly relieved passenger added: "I want to thank the crew of SWA 1380 for a great job getting us to the ground safely after losing an engine."
Southwest Airlines say an investigation into the incident is now underway. "Safety is always our top priority at Southwest Airlines, and we are working diligently to support our customers and crews at this time," it said in a brief statement.
One wonders the cause of the incident.