Southwest is one of the few major U.S.-based carriers to have never had a fatal crash. In 2018, a New Mexico woman was killed when an engine exploded on a Southwest flight after it took off from New York. The blast sent shrapnel through one of the jet's windows, and the victim was partly sucking out of the plane.

The last fatal accident involving Southwest Airlines occurred on April 17, 2018, involving Southwest Flight 1380. While en route from New York–LaGuardia to Dallas, the Boeing 737-700 experienced an uncontained engine failure at 32,000 feet. Shrapnel from the engine housing shattered a passenger window, leading to a rapid depressurization of the cabin. Tragically, a passenger was partially ejected through the window; she was pulled back in by fellow travelers but later succumbed to her injuries. The flight made a successful emergency landing in Philadelphia thanks to the heroic actions of Captain Tammie Jo Shults and First Officer Darren Ellisor. Since that event, Southwest has maintained a strong safety record through 2026, continuing its reputation as one of the world's safest low-cost carriers. It is worth noting that before this 2018 incident, the airline had gone its entire history (since 1971) without a single in-flight fatality, a remarkable feat in the aviation industry.