Shortly after takeoff three miles above Oregon, an Alaska Airlines plane blew off a window and a part of its fuselage, causing a gaping hole that sucked clothing off a toddler and prompted the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 174 passengers and six crew members donned breathing masks.
The depressurized airliner returned safely to Portland International Airport about 20 minutes after it took off, but the airline grounded its 65 Boeing 737-9 Max planes until they could be inspected. On Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it will also conduct an investigation.
According to passenger Evan Smith, a boy and his mother were sitting in the row when the window blew out, and the boy’s shirt was sucked off him and out of the plane.
“There was a loud bang at the left rear. “There was a whooshing sound, and all the oxygen masks instantly deployed, and everyone put those on,” Smith told KATU-TV.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci stated that the company’s 737-9 fleet aircraft inspection could take several days. They account for one-fifth of the company’s 314 planes. It was unclear how this would affect the company’s flight schedule on Saturday.
Alaska Airlines 737 Plane Lands Safely After A Window Blows Out 3 Miles Over Oregon
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred … and will share updates as more information is available,” Minicucci said. “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced.”
According to the Port of Portland, which operates the airport, the fire department treated minor injuries at the scene. One person was sent for additional care but was not gravely injured.
Flight 1282 took off at 5:07 p.m. Friday from Portland for a two-hour flight to Ontario, California. The window and a portion of the fuselage blew out approximately six minutes later when the jet was at around 16,000 feet (4.8 kilometers). One of the pilots declared an emergency and requested permission to drop to 10,000 feet (3 kilometers), the level at which the air contains adequate oxygen for safe breathing.
‘We need to return to Portland,’ the pilot told controllers calmly, a tone she kept throughout the landing.
Passengers’ online videos revealed a large hole where the window had gone and passengers donning masks. They cheered as the jet safely landed 13 minutes after the window burst out. Firefighters then proceeded along the aisle, requesting passengers to remain seated as they attended to the injured.
Alaska Airlines 737 Plane Lands Safely After A Window Blows Out 3 Miles Over Oregon
According to online FAA records, the aircraft concerned rolled off the assembly line and got certification barely two months ago. FlightRadar24, another tracking service, reported that the plane has flown 145 times since it began commercial service on November 11. The trip from Portland was the plane’s third flight of the day.
The Max is the most recent version of Boeing’s legendary 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle airliner regularly employed on domestic flights in the United States. The plane entered service in May of 2017.
The organization representing 19 airlines’ flight attendants, including Alaska Airlines, praised the crew for keeping customers safe.
“Flight Attendants are trained for emergencies, and we work every flight for aviation safety first and foremost,” the Association of Flight Attendants stated Saturday.
Alaska Airlines 737 Plane Lands Safely After A Window Blows Out 3 Miles Over Oregon
Two Max 8 flights crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and forcing the worldwide grounding of all Max 8 and Max 9 planes for over two years. Only after Boeing made adjustments to an automatic flight control system implicated in the incidents were the planes reinstated to service.
The FAA advised pilots last year to limit the use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions due to concerns that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, potentially damaging the plane.
Max supplies have been halted at times to correct manufacturing problems. In December, the corporation advised airlines to assess the planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system.
SOURCE – (AP)
