Similar incident on a 777 where a pilot mentioned a compressor stall indication.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/03/07/breaking-news/ntsb-broken-fan-blade-led-to-uniteds-flight-emergency-landing-in-honolulu/

There have been quite a few fan blade out events in the 777 fleet but this was the first that lost an inlet. Final report of course hasn't been issued yet.

The way that article is written it makes it sound like the blade separated, then the cowl separated, then they shut the engine down with "signs of a compressor stall" which are likely to be same as signs that your engine just threw a blade and blew the cowl off.

It's nebulous, certainly, but the fact remains that there have been enough FBO events in the fleet without losing an inlet. Something was different in this instance, especially since it happened deep in the cruise segment instead of during takeoff, which is more typical.

Two SWA 737's have lost inlets now, but no final report indicating a compressor stall or an inlet structural defect yet. There are other FBO events in the 737 fleet without the carnage we saw this week. Something was different.

I'll cede that the blade loss might have initiated the event, but perhaps a piece was ingested in the hot section this time and led to a big burp that blew the inlet off. Or a hot section blade failed and was burped out the front, taking a fan blade with it?

Stall will happen after a blade liberation.

I suppose any of that is possible. In the two 737 incidents, and in the 777 incident, one fan blade is missing, and the cowl is blown off. Since most blade separations happen on takeoff with a big power addition, maybe that's why those events are more likely to be contained? Damage to the cowl at 0-150 knots compared to 450+

So sad and scary.

I flew the same exact flight two days prior to this (morning flight from LGA to DAL). I was complaining at the time because I booked it through American but ended up on an Alaska Airlines flight.

Airspeed may be the difference. I just know that inlets have sustained impact damage from blade fragments and remained attached all the way thru an emergency landing. Perhaps the extra airspeed at high altitude cruise is enough to destroy one after FBO.

American doesn't fly to DAL

GAC06 said:

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American doesn't fly to DAL

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Explains why it was Alaska Air. American allowed me to book it through them and collect miles since they are partnered with (or own) Alaska.

Cause of death released:

died of blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso, according to the Philadelphia medical examiner.

Aero95 said:

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Airspeed may be the difference. I just know that inlets have sustained impact damage from blade fragments and remained attached all the way thru an emergency landing. Perhaps the extra airspeed at high altitude cruise is enough to destroy one after FBO.

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That's the way I interpret it, get the right kind of hole in there for airflow to catch hold of and I could see it shredding apart pretty quick. Maybe debris blowing out took out the window, but it seems like you'd see other damage as well and it's hard to imagine how any parts of the inlet would go up and over the wing.

Part of the airstream is of course going up/over the wing, and the plane went into a 40+ left bank as the engine failed so I could see debris coming up as it was departing the attachment area.

dubi said:

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Cause of death released:

died of blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso, according to the Philadelphia medical examiner.

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Seems to support a partial decapitation incident.