Photo Credit: Daily Mail
Written by: Sam Orlando
A Southwest Airlines flight from Havana to Fort Lauderdale was forced to make an emergency landing in Cuba after one of the plane's engines failed, causing a loud explosion that filled the cabin with smoke and forced passengers to wear oxygen masks.
One passenger described the chaos on board the flight, saying, "There was a big explosion, and then the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling." Another passenger added, "We could not see the masks, so everybody was just kind of feeling around, trying to grab for them."
Despite the frightening ordeal, the plane was safely landed in Cuba thanks to the heroism of Captain Tammie Jo Shults, a former Navy fighter pilot. Passengers on the flight praised her actions, with one calling her a "true American hero."
Dean Shults, Captain Shults' husband, spoke to NBC News about his wife's cool-headed response to the situation. "She's a formidable fighter pilot," he said. "She's the only pilot I know who can fly an F-18 with a cup of coffee in her hand."
In a statement, Southwest Airlines thanked Captain Shults and the flight crew for their handling of the situation, saying, "We are grateful for the safe return of our customers and crew on Flight 3472."
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident, but passengers on the flight say they are grateful to be alive thanks to the efforts of Captain Shults and the Southwest flight crew.
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