Plane makes emergency landing with hole in cabin

Sacramento, California: A Southwest Airlines plane with a gaping hole in the fuselage made an emergency landing at a military base in Arizona on Friday after a sudden drop in cabin pressure, said company officials.
Southwest Flight 812 from Phoenix to Sacramento, with 118 passengers aboard, landed safely at the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station with a hole in the top of the aircraft, said a spokesman for the South-West a statement.
There were no passengers reported injuries, the statement said. The airline said a flight attendant was slightly injured.
The Boeing 737 landed at 16:07 local time after declaring an emergency, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
"We do not know the cause of relief," said Gregor.
Passengers described the heartbreaking scene at the CBS television affiliate in Sacramento, detailing the damage to the aircraft.
"They came to take drink orders when I heard a huge noise and the oxygen masks came down and we started to make a rapid descent. They said we'd made an emergency landing," a woman identified as Cindy told the station.
"There was a hole in the fuselage about three feet long. You could see the insulation and wiring. You could see a tear of the length of one of the ceiling panels. "
Another passenger tweeted that she was "glad to be alive."
"It still feels sick. 6 foot hole in the skin of the aircraft five rows behind me. Unbelievable," Shawna MalviniRedden writing. She said she texted her husband while in the air, saying " I love you. "
Southwest Airlines reported a manned aircraft maintenance, ground staff and customer service agents on board, was sent to Yuma. - (Reuters)