Blown Southwest Engine 'Autopsy' Results Detailed by Investigators

The blown Southwest engine's "autopsy" results have been detailed in a report released by investigators probing the chain of events that saw a woman partially sucked out of a shattered window of the plane recently.

Jennifer Riordan, a bank executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was killed when one of 24 fan blades broke off inside the plane's left engine during a flight from New York to Dallas, blowing out a window next to her.

Two pieces of the broken fan blade were recovered inside the plane's engine but subsequent investigations have revealed that other pieces had knocked out the majority of the cowling, which caused extensive damage to the wing and fuselage, USA Today noted.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in its report that it found consistent signs of metal fatigue on the fan blade that broke apart, noting several cracks from usage on the No. 13 blade that broke.

Airline engines can hold broken pieces and were designed to prevent stray shrapnel from damaging the rest of the plane, or injuring passengers, USA Today noted. However, in the Southwest instance, the broken fan blades tore through the plane and caused most of the inlet cowl to be knocked out.

"The remainder of the accident airplane's airframe exhibited significant impact damage to the leading edge of the left wing, left side of the fuselage, and left horizontal stabilizer," NTSB said in its report.

Flight attendants on the plane reported hearing a loud sound and experiencing vibration that caused the oxygen masks to automatically be deployed, the report noted.

As flight attendants walked through the cabin to calm passengers and assist them with their masks, "they found the passenger in row 14 partially out of the window and attempted to pull her into the cabin."

According to the report, two male passengers were able to assist in hauling her back into the plane.

Meanwhile flight crew members said they experienced a sudden change in cabin pressure, which triggered the cockpit alarms. They donned their oxygen masks and began the plane's descent.

Investigators noted that the flight crew experienced handling difficulties as well as initial communications difficulties due to "loud sounds, distraction, and wearing masks" but they were able to land the plane safely.

The crew of the Southwest flight have since been hailed heroes and even garnered a response from President Donald Trump who praised former navy pilot Tammie Jo Shults, who landed the Southwest aircraft at Philadelphia International safely, The Hill noted.

• Southwest $5,000 Checks Sent to Passengers on Crippled Flight
• Tammie Jo Shults, Hero Southwest Pilot, Was Navy Fighter Jock