i believe they're referencing the southwest airlines flight in which an engine had an explosive failure and the shrapnel from that explosion went through the plane's main compartment windows, killing one passenger and maybe injuring a few more, i cant quite remember
What probably gathered the most attention was that the woman by the window was being sucked out but other passengers helped her by pulling her. I don't know if it was she who died. It wasn't mentioned in the article.
EDIT: This makes me think that part of what makes news newsworthy is describing something in a way that provokes the readers to put themselves in the story. In this case it's terrifying to consider being in the shoes of that woman. Also, per GuB-42's comment, I think on average people fear nuclear fallout more than an earthquake or a tsunami, considering that most of us have experience with none of those scenarios.
