Violent Wind, Flying Debris: What Happens in a Plane Rupture
- Decompression of Southwest Airlines jetliner unleashed fury
- Woman’s death is latest in a string of rare aviation tragedies
Southwest Jet Engine Shows Signs of Metal Weakness
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When even a small hole suddenly opens in a jetliner miles above the Earth, it unleashes hurricane-like forces. Everything that’s not strapped down flies toward the opening. The wind can easily lift a person up and out of the plane.
These terrifying episodes are rare but when they occur -- such as on Tuesday, when a Southwest Airlines Co. plane lost a window at 32,500 feet, killing a woman who was partly sucked out of the cabin -- they’ve led to grisly results.