Capt. Tammy Shults: Hero of Flight 1380
One of the Navy’s first female fighter pilots in 1985, Capt. Tammy Shults flew the A-7 Corsair II, F/A-18, and EA-6B Prowler, becoming an instructor and aggressor pilot. Barred from combat in the first Gulf War, she sharpened her skills training others. She met her husband, a fellow A-7 pilot, and both later joined Southwest Airlines. On Flight 1380, a 737 engine explosion damaged the fuselage, sending the plane into a dive. Shults’ quick thinking and calm resolve saved the aircraft and passengers, landing safely. Tragically, one passenger died after being pulled through a hole in the fuselage. Inspired by missionary Nate Saint, Shults, a Sunday school teacher, pursued aviation. “I thought I’d meet my Maker that day, but He wasn’t a stranger. That gave me calm,” she said. Unleash your valor. It is in you.
