Passengers hug pilot for safe landing despite hole

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Passengers on a Southwest Airlines plane applauded and hugged the pilot for a safe emergency landing in West Virginia after a football-sized hole appeared in the fuselage.

Passengers Brian Cunningham told NBC's "Today" show Tuesday that he was dozing on the flight and was awakened by a loud roar.

Charleston, W.Va., airport spokesman Brian Belcher says passengers on the 737 aircraft could see the outside through the 1-foot-by-1-foot hole in the rear of the plane. The cabin lost pressure, but no one was injured. The plane, which originated in Nashville and was headed to Baltimore, landed safely Monday evening.

It's not clear what caused the damage.

Southwest Airlines Co. spokeswoman Marilee McInnis says the company was inspecting all of its 737-300s as a precaution.
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U.S. pilot bails out of plane to fake death

MIAMI (Reuters) – A pilot wanted on financial fraud charges parachuted out of his plane over Alabama and allowed the aircraft to crash in neighbouring Florida in an apparent attempt to fake his death, sheriff's investigators said on Monday.

Authorities launched a manhunt for the pilot, who survived and checked into an Alabama hotel, and then fled, the Santa Rosa County, Florida, sheriff's office said.

The pilot, identified as Marcus Schrenker, 38, was the only person aboard the plane that took off for Florida on Sunday from Anderson, Indiana.

Over Alabama, the pilot made a bogus emergency call, saying the plane's windscreen had imploded and he was bleeding profusely. He then put the plane on autopilot and parachuted out, investigators said.

Military jets were scrambled to aid the plane, a Piper PA-46 Turbo Prop, and the military pilots noticed the Piper's door was open. They followed the empty plane to northwest Florida, where it crashed on Sunday night near the city of Milton, in a swampy area within a few hundred yards of some houses, said Sgt. Scott Haines of Santa Rosa County Sheriff's office....More

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