Southwest flight diverted as window cracks

A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago made an unexpected diversion on Wednesday after a window cracked midflight, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Flight 957 left Chicago Midway International Airport at about 8:30 a.m. CT enroute to Newark, New Jersey, and landed in Cleveland after a crack in the outer pane of a multi-pane window was reported, the airline said, noting that the aircraft maintained cabin pressure.

Southwest said the aircraft has been taken out of service for “maintenance review” and that passengers were put on another airplane bound for Newark.

The diversion on Wednesday is the second major incident to face Southwest in less than a month. On April 17, an engine exploded on Flight 1380, causing debris to break a window. A passenger, Jennifer Riordan, 43, was almost sucked out of the aircraft. The Boeing 737 made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, where Riordan later died in a hospital as a result of injuries sustained during the flight.

President Donald Trump welcomed the passengers and crew of Flight 1380 to the White House on Tuesday, remembering Riordan and honoring the actions of those on board.

"The actions of the crew and passengers of Southwest Flight 1380 show the great character of our nation," Trump said from the Oval Office, adding that Captain Tammie Jo Shults, one of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy, did an “incredible job” landing the distressed aircraft.

The engine damage on Flight 1380 spurred lawmakers in Washington to include an amendment focusing on engine safety in its five-year FAA reauthorization legislation. The bill, introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., provides the government organization with funding through fiscal year 2023, and includes a call to action for the FAA to review airline engine safety. The House passed the bill 393-13 last Friday.