One person is dead after a major engine failure led a Southwest plane to make a terrifying emergency landing in Philadelphia (LUV)

A Southwest Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia after one of its engines suffered a major mid-flight failure.

One passenger died as a result of the incident, National Transporation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a press conference. The airline later confirmed the fatality and the passenger has been identified as Jennifer Riordan, a vice president of community relations for Wells Fargo bank, according to the Associated Press.

According to Philadelphia fire commissioner Adam Thiel, seven other passengers were treated for minor injuries.

The failure, which caused the front of the engine to disintegrate, sprayed shrapnel that penetrated the cabin of the Boeing 737-700, causing the jet to depressurize.

In an audio communication between the flight crew and air traffic control, the pilot indicates she's been told there's a hole in the plane and that someone has gone out of it. The airline has not confirmed whether a passenger was either partially or completely sucked out of the aircraft.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 was en route from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Love Field in Dallas when the incident occurred.

A ground stop was issued for Philadelphia International Airport following the incident. Southwest Airlines issued the following statement on its website:

Boeing said in a statement via Twitter that it was working on gathering information.

The aircraft has been identified as N772SW. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the 17.8-year-old Boeing 737-700 was delivered new to Southwest Airlines in July 2000.

The NTSB team arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon, with experts in various areas including power plants and airworthiness.

According to NTSB chairman Sumwalt, an experienced Boeing 737 pilot, the plane's black-box recorders were recovered and would be in Washington, DC, for analysis Tuesday evening.

The aircraft was powered by a pair of CFM International CFM56-7B engines. CFM is a joint venture between GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft engines.