After the Southwest Explosion, Will You Sit in A Different Spot?

Does it matter where you sit on an airplane? First - the investigation on that engine which failed on the Southwest jet has yet to be fully published. However, in this layman's eyes the engine's turbine blades disintegrated in turn rupturing the safety retaining device which in turn increased the amount of shrapnel flying out from the engine pod. Second, the size of the shrapnel pieces and speed at which the plane was flying pretty much determined the impact area of the shrapnel. Had the plane been sitting on the ground when the engine failed it would have been those passengers sitting even with the engine pod receiving the majority of shrapnel. And too, the company that made the engine issued a warning in 2016 suggesting the engine's turbine blades be tested to determine if cracking and or weak areas were present. Conversely, the engine design under scrutiny has millions upon millions of logged flight time with only the 2016 incident marring an otherwise faultless record. The U.S. airline industry has the safest passenger record world wide according to airline statistics. Leaving this flyer to assume it is still safer to fly on a U.S. airline then any other! Where I choose to sit is determined by the aircraft cabin layout. At six foot three inches and carrying a tad bit more weight then I should, my choices are limited to larger seats with extra legroom! So yes! It does matter where I sit on an airplane.