PHILADELPHIA _ Crew members of the Southwest Airlines flight that made an emergency landing in Philadelphia when its engine exploded two weeks ago, killing a passenger, will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
The airline said the White House had extended the invitation. Further details about the visit weren't available.
Tammie Jo Shults, a former fighter pilot with the U.S. Navy who was flying the Southwest plane with 144 passengers, was hailed as a hero for her calm and focused demeanor during the emergency.
In a statement released by Southwest on April 18, Shults and Southwest First Officer Darren Ellisor said "our hearts are heavy" and that they felt "we were simply doing our jobs."
Jennifer Riordan, a mother and bank vice president of community relations from New Mexico, was partially sucked out of a window that had broken before passengers pulled her back inside. Riordan died of blunt impact trauma of the head, neck, and torso, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office ruled.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating what caused the window to break and what caused the metal fatigue in the area where a fan blade broke off from one of the plane's engines.
There were 144 passengers on the flight, which was en route from New York to Dallas. Southwest sent each passenger a $5,000 check and $1,000 flight voucher. One of the passengers has also sued Southwest, saying she has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
