EXCLUSIVE: Grieving family of Southwest Airlines victim say they have not yet decided whether to sue over tragic death of 'loving, caring' mom

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The grieving family of the woman who died after being sucked out the window of a Southwest plane have said they are still deciding on whether or not to pursue legal action against the airline.

Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old mother-of-two from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was killed after the left engine exploded - sending shrapnel smashing through the plexiglass window beside her.

The Wells Fargo executive, who had been flying back from a business trip in New York, was then partially dragged through the window but was hauled back inside by passengers seated beside her.

Pilot Tammie Jo Shults, 56, of Fair Oaks, Texas, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia and Riordan was rushed to hospital but tragically died of her wounds on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday morning, her widower Michael, 46, was too upset to speak but close friend Tania Armenta, 42, told DailyMail.com the family are still coming to terms with their loss and have yet to make a decision about whether or not to sue.

Family: Jennifer Riordan, a Wells Fargo executive who was originally from Vermont, had been with husband Mike (pictured) for almost 29 years and had two children: Averie, 12, and Joshua, 10

R.I.P: The family of the mother-of-two has described her as 'the bedrock' of the family and say she will be remembered as 'kind, loving, caring, and sharing'. Pictures shared with DailyMail.com show a beaming Riordan posing with a sparkler (left) and dressed up in glamorous eveningwear with her husband (right) 

Jennifer Riordan's close friend Tania Armenta told DailyMail.com that there is no legal action against the airline in the works yet

Speaking outside the Riordan family's ranch-style Albuquerque home, Armenta said: 'Right now, we're just asking for privacy.

'There's not anything, nothing to share about that [legal action] yet.'

She also said the family will stay in New Mexico for the moment and that there are no plans for Michael or the couple's two children, Averie and Joshua, to travel to Philadelphia immediately.

In a statement released to DailyMail.com, Riordan's loved ones described her as 'the bedrock of our family' and asked that people remember to be 'kind, loving, caring and sharing' in her memory.

It continued: 'Jennifer's vibrancy, passion and love infused our community and reached across our country.

'Her impact on everything and everyone she touched can never be fully measured. But first and foremost, she is the bedrock of our family.

'She and Mike wrote a love story unlike any other. Her beauty and love is evident through her children.

'We are so appreciative of the outpouring of support from family, friends and our community. We do ask that those who seek to express their condolences and prayers as well as media outlets respect our privacy at this time.

'Our family and friends need time both to grieve and celebrate Jennifer's impact on us all. In her memory – please remember to always be kind, loving, caring, and sharing.'

Riordan's social media pages paint a picture of an idyllic family life, above she is seen posing for a family portrait with her husband, children and dog

The Riordans' will stay in New Mexico for the moment. Pictured: The family's ranch-style home in Albuquerque

Riordan, who was originally from Vermont, had been with husband Mike for almost 29 years and had two children: Averie, 12, and Joshua, 10.

Her social media pages paint a picture of an idyllic family life, with Riordan proudly posting photos of her son making his first confession at their Catholic parish and others showing the foursome watching the local Lobo swim team in action and enjoying a vacation at Disneyworld in Florida.

Other pictures, released to DailyMail.com by the family, show a beaming Riordan posing with a sparkler and dressed up in glamorous eveningwear with her husband.

She is also seen enjoying a day out at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and posing for a family portrait with her husband, children and dog.

At work, Riordan was in charge of the philanthropic activities of 1,000 Wells Fargo employees and served as a volunteer herself on the boards of Junior Achievement of New Mexico, New Mexico First, The Catholic Foundation and Annunciation Catholic School.

In a statement, Wells Fargo said the company was 'saddened to learn of the death of our friend and colleague Jennifer Riordan.

'She was a well-known leader who was loved and respected. We send our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.'

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are now working to find out exactly what caused the engine on Southwest Flight 1380 to flame out with such tragic consequences.

Riordan was tragically killed after the left engine (right) of the plane exploded - sending shrapnel smashing through the plexiglass window (pictured) beside her

This is the window which was shattered by a piece of shrapnel from an exploding engine on a Southwest Airlines flight on Tuesday morning

The aircraft, a Boeing 737-700, was carrying 143 passengers at the time of the incident, including Riordan.

Passengers seated close to Riordan on the flight have also begun speaking out about the incident, with nurse Peggy Phillips detailing the frantic efforts to save her.

Phillips, who had been sitting in the seat directly in front, told ABC: 'The window had broken and the suction, the negative pressure, had pulled her outside the plane partially.

Pilot Tammie Jo Shults (pictured), a former Navy fighter pilot and the first woman to fly an F-18, quickly brought the Dallas-bound Southwest Flight 1380 to land at Philadelphia International at 11.30am after the explosion at 32,000ft

'These two wonderful men the EMT and a passenger managed to get her back inside the plane and we lay her down and we started CPR.'

She told the outlet that Riordan had suffered 'significant' head and facial trauma and added: 'If you can possibly imagine going through the window of an airplane at about 600mph, and hitting either the fuselage or the wing with your body, with your face...I can probably tell you that there was significant trauma to the body.'

Phillips added: 'I am terribly, terribly sorry for the family. My heart goes out to them but I am so proud of my fellow passengers and the flight crew and the pilot,'

Southwest, which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has also responded to the incident – changing its Twitter profile photo to a picture of a broken gray heart and saying in a statement that Riordan's family are their primary concern.

The airline added on Tuesday: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that there is one fatality resulting from this accident.

'The entire Southwest Airlines Family is devastated and extends its deepest heartfelt sympathy to the customers, employees, family members, and loved ones affected by this tragic event.

'We have activated our emergency response team and are deploying every resource to support those affected by this tragedy.'