A Southwest Airlines engine appeared to explode during a Saturday flight from New Orleans to Orlando. Midway through the flight, the 99 passengers and five crewmembers on Southwest flight 3472 heard a boom from the engine, followed by clouds of smoke. When the smoke cleared, they saw the left engine blown open as though it had exploded. The body of the plane also sustained damage, causing oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling. The plane made an emergency landing, and is being investigated for what the airline is describing as a "mechanical issue with the number one engine."
