Trump to meet with crew of deadly Southwest Airlines flight

President Trump will meet Tuesday with the crew of the Southwest Airlines flight that made an emergency landing earlier this month after an engine failed midflight, leading to the death of one passenger.

Trump will meet crew members from Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 at the White House, an official said. No further details were available.

Jennifer Riordan, 43, died after a piece of one of the plane’s engines shattered a window and partially pulled her out of the aircraft.

{mosads}Tammie Jo Shults, one of the first female Navy fighter pilots, landed the Dallas-bound plane safely in Philadelphia following the engine failure.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident. The agency’s chairman, Robert Sumwalt, said following the accident that the blown engine had “metal fatigue” and a fan blade “was separated at the point where it would come into the hub.” 

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said he expects Southwest’s accelerated engine inspections, ordered after the accident, to be completed by the end of May. More than 80 percent of the company’s fleet had been inspected as of late last week. 

Trump earlier this year took credit for 2017 being the safest year on record in commercial aviation.