Trump hails Southwest Flight 1380 crew as heroes in Oval Office ceremony

WASHINGTON — President Trump hailed the "heroic crew and passengers” of a Southwest Airlines flight on Monday, saying their exemplary leadership and quick thinking helped to avoid a catastrophic end to the flight.

Trump welcomed passengers and crew of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 to the White House Tuesday, two weeks after an engine explosion killed one passenger and forced the plane to an emergency landing.

Trump singled out pilot Tammie Jo Shults, saying "everybody's talking about" her heroism on the flight. "Tammy did an incredible job,” he said.

Shults guided the New York-to-Dallas flight to an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

Other crew members — first officer Darren Ellisor and flight attendants Rachel Fernheimer, Seanique Mallory, and Kathryn Sandoval — displayed "exemplary leadership," Trump said. “They said you were calm and strong and cool,” he said. 

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One of the 144 passengers on board the April 17 flight, 43-year-old Jennifer Riordan, was killed on the flight when a piece of the engine broke a window, sucking her halfway out of the plane as the cabin lost pressure. 

A nurse, Peggy Phillips, administered CPR to Riordan in an unsuccessful attempt to save her life. “Your bravery, your compassion, are truly appreciated," Trump told her. 

Riordan, a Wells Fargo executive from New Mexico, was a mother of two described as the "bedrock" of her family.

"Our hearts break for the family of the passenger who tragically lost her life,” Trump said. “We send our prayers to Jennifer’s husband and their two beautiful children."

He added, “She must’ve been a fantastic woman.”