It happened fast. One minute, the radar is clear, and the next, there’s smoke rising over a neighborhood or a mangled fuselage on a runway. When people start frantically searching for who was in the philly plane crash, they’re usually looking for names, faces, and some kind of "why." But Philadelphia has a long, tragic history with aviation, and the answer depends entirely on which disaster you’re talking about—because, honestly, there have been several that changed the city forever.
Tragedy has a way of sticking to the pavement in Philly. From the 1943 glider disaster that killed the mayor to the more recent, harrowing engine failure on Southwest Flight 1380, the "who" is often a mix of high-profile leaders and everyday people just trying to get home.
The Southwest Flight 1380 Tragedy: Jennifer Riordan
If you are looking for the most searched-for name regarding a "Philly plane crash" in recent memory, it is almost certainly Jennifer Riordan. On April 17, 2018, Southwest Flight 1380 wasn't even supposed to be in Philadelphia. It was headed from New York’s LaGuardia to Dallas. Then, about 20 minutes into the flight, at 32,000 feet, a fan blade in the left engine snapped.
The engine exploded.
Shrapnel shattered a window. The cabin depressurized instantly. Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old mother of two and a well-respected Wells Fargo executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was partially pulled out of that broken window. It is the stuff of absolute nightmares.
The passengers around her were heroes. They grabbed her, pulling her back into the cabin while the plane entered a terrifying roll. Tim McGinty, a farmhand in a cowboy hat, and Andrew Needum, a firefighter, were among those who fought to save her. They performed CPR for nearly 20 minutes as Captain Tammie Jo Shults—a former Navy fighter pilot—nerved her way through an emergency descent into Philadelphia International Airport.
Sadly, Riordan passed away from her injuries. She was the only fatality that day, but her death shook the nation. She was known for her "kindness is contagious" mantra. It wasn't just a corporate slogan for her; it was how she lived. The NTSB later determined that metal fatigue in the fan blade was the culprit. It’s a stark reminder that even with modern maintenance, tiny, invisible cracks can lead to catastrophe.
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The 1943 Glider Disaster: A City Leadership Lost
Sometimes, the "who" involves the very people running the city. We have to go back a bit for this one, but it remains one of the most shocking moments in Pennsylvania history. On August 1, 1943, a crowd of 10,000 people gathered at the Philadelphia Municipal Airport. They were there to see a demonstration of a CG-4A combat glider.
It was supposed to be a morale booster during World War II. Instead, it was a massacre.
The glider’s wing collapsed mid-air. It fell like a stone from 2,000 feet. Everyone on board died instantly. When the dust settled, the city realized it had lost its leadership in a single afternoon.
Who was in the philly plane crash of 1943?
- William D. Becker: The Mayor of St. Louis (who was visiting).
- Thomas Dysart: President of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce.
- Max Doyne: St. Louis Public Utilities Director.
- Judge Henry McElwee: A prominent local figure.
- Charles Cunningham: St. Louis Deputy Comptroller.
It wasn't just a mechanical failure; it was a PR disaster that cost the lives of men who were trying to promote the war effort. The cause was later traced to a faulty "wing strut" manufactured by a company that made birdcages before the war. They simply weren't equipped for aviation tolerances.
The 2014 Gulfstream IV Crash at Hanscom (The Philly Connection)
While this crash technically happened in Massachusetts, it is often filed under "Philly plane crashes" because of the people involved. On May 31, 2014, a private Gulfstream IV crashed during takeoff.
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The most prominent name on that manifest was Lewis Katz.
Katz was a titan in Philadelphia. He co-owned The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and had previously owned the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils. He was a philanthropist who had just won a massive legal battle for control of the city’s major newspapers only days before the crash.
He wasn't alone. Seven people died. Among them were:
- Anne Leeds, a retired preschool teacher and Katz’s neighbor.
- Marcella Dalsey, the director of the Drew A. Katz Foundation.
- Susan Asbell, a local philanthropist.
The pilots had failed to perform a flight control check. The "gust lock"—a mechanism that keeps the rudders from flapping while the plane is parked—was still engaged. They tried to take off with the controls locked. They couldn't lift off, overran the runway, and the plane erupted in flames. It was a senseless loss of life driven by a checklist error.
Why We Fixate on These Manifests
It’s human nature to want to know the names. We look for who was in the philly plane crash because we want to see if we know them, or if they were "important," but also because we want to understand the randomness of life.
Take the 1991 Merion air disaster. This wasn't at the airport; it was over an elementary school in a Philly suburb. A helicopter and a small plane carrying Senator John Heinz collided in mid-air. Heinz, a wealthy and popular U.S. Senator (and heir to the ketchup fortune), died along with six others, including two children on the playground at Merion Elementary School.
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The tragedy of John Heinz changed the political landscape of Pennsylvania. It led to a special election that saw Harris Wofford win, which in turn helped shape the national conversation around healthcare in the early 90s.
Then there’s the 2024 small plane crash in Bucks County, just outside the city. Usually, these involve private pilots—hobbyists or folks commuting. In those cases, the names aren't usually household names, but the impact on the local community is just as heavy.
The Science of Survival: Who Makes It Out?
When we look at the manifest of Southwest 1380, we see 144 passengers and 5 crew members. 148 survived. Only one didn't.
Statistically, your odds of surviving a plane crash are actually quite high. Since the 1970s, the "who" in these stories has shifted from "everyone on board died" to "most people survived with injuries." This is thanks to better seat anchoring, fire-retardant materials, and better training.
If you're ever in a situation where you're worried about being the "who" in the next headline, remember these actionable safety points:
- The Plus-Five Rule: Most crashes happen during the first three minutes of takeoff or the last eight minutes of landing. Stay alert, shoes on, and headphones off during this time.
- Count the Rows: Don't just look for the exit sign. Count the number of seats between you and the exit. If the cabin fills with smoke, you won't be able to see; you’ll have to feel your way out.
- Listen to the Briefing: Even if you've flown 100 times, every plane is different. The exit might be behind you.
Moving Forward After the News Cycles
The families of those like Jennifer Riordan or Lewis Katz don't get to "move on" when the news cycle ends. For them, the manifest is a list of holes in their lives.
If you are following a recent event, the best place to find verified manifests is through the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) or the official press releases from the Philadelphia Police Department. Avoid Twitter/X rumors in the first two hours of an event; the "who" is almost always wrong in the beginning.
Steps for Finding Real-Time Information
- Check the NTSB Twitter/X account: They are the gold standard for factual updates on investigators being launched.
- FAA Registry: If you have the tail number (the "N-number") of a small plane, you can look up the owner on the FAA website immediately.
- Local News (6ABC or NBC10): In Philadelphia, these stations usually have the best "boots on the ground" for breaking news regarding local crashes.
Aviation is incredibly safe, but when it fails, it fails loudly. Whether it's a senator in 1991, an executive in 2018, or a mayor in 1943, the people in these crashes become part of the city’s grim history. We honor them by making sure the mistakes that led to their names being in the news are never repeated.