6:13
- ABC News
- April 18, 2018
Southwest flight survivor: 'I thought I was dying'
Courtney Padilla held her wife's hand as the plane made an emergency landing.
The NTSB and the FAA are investigating the incident.
\"Finally, when we hit the ground, there was like a sigh of relief,\" Padilla said. \"Instantly, everybody broke into tears and screaming for joy ... hugging each other, strangers hugging strangers. I've never felt more relieved in my life.\"
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/passenger-recalls-horror-deadly-southwest-flight-thought-dying/story?id=54549164","legacySlug":"/news/story/passenger-recalls-horror-deadly-southwest-flight-thought-dying-54549164","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"09:10","publishDate":"04-18-2018","updatedTime":"10:24","updatedDate":"04-18-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"A Southwest Airlines plane sits on the runway at the Philadelphia International Airport after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, April 17, 2018.","credit":"David Maialetti /The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/southwest-emergency-landing-ap-ps-180417_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/18/2018 09:10:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":54549164,"headline":"Southwest flight survivor: 'I thought I was dying'","mediaAssetTitle":"ALLEN_SW_blowout_witness_180418","description":"Courtney Padilla held her wife's hand as the plane made an emergency landing.","duration":"6:13","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180418_ntl_sxsw_airlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["135219568","135145820","134977845"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"July 30, 2026","headline":"US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","section":"News","slug":"/video/135219568","id":"135219568","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 28, 2026","headline":"Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","section":"News","slug":"/video/135145820","id":"135145820","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 22, 2026","headline":"Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","section":"News","slug":"/video/134977845","id":"134977845","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Southwest flight survivor: 'I thought I was dying'","description":"Courtney Padilla held her wife's hand as the plane made an emergency landing.","duration":"6:13","uploadDate":"04-18-2018","publication":"04-18-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180418_ntl_sxsw_airlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/04/180418_ntl_sxsw_airlines_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/passenger-recalls-horror-deadly-southwest-flight-thought-dying-54549164"}},"playlist":[{"id":"135222489","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135189298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135195168","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134926667","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135120534","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134959102","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134910526","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134846473","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134848966","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134761751","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134787741","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134782596","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134741027","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134751717","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134708317","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134548164","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134542058","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134416060","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134443994","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134406623","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Southwest flight survivor: 'I thought I was dying'","pubTime":"05:10","pubDate":"04-18-2018","modTime":"06:24","modDate":"04-18-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":54549164,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Southwest flight survivor: 'I thought I was dying'","mediaAssetTitle":"ALLEN_SW_blowout_witness_180418","videoId":54549164,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/passenger-recalls-horror-deadly-southwest-flight-thought-dying-54549164"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/54549164","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/54549164","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};