Alaska Airlines Emergency Landing After Mid-Air Window Blowout

(CTN News) – Several passengers on board an Alaska Airlines flight reported that the plane made an emergency landing at PDX on Friday night due to a depressurization event.

An unidentified passenger told Fox News’ KPTV that a window and part of a side wall were missing, and the photographs were really disturbing.

Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Portland, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s statement late Friday.

The plane, carrying 174 people (including six crew members) and having taken off from Ontario, California, had a big section of its side wall blow out shortly after takeoff. The plane safely returned to Portland at 5:26 p.m. Pacific Time, according to data from Flightradar24 and the airline.

The airline made an announcement regarding the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 at 7:26pm (PST) on X.

The emergency landing was being investigated by Boeing, according to a statement.

The situation with Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 is known to us. We are in touch with the airline customer and are attempting to collect additional information. An investigative team from Boeing is prepared to lend a hand.

According to passenger Diego Murillo, Alaska Airlines rescheduled their trip from PDX to an 11 p.m. departure.

“Any time you experience a rapid decompression like this, it’s a major safety event,” stated Anthony Brickhouse of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who specializes in air safety.

According to passenger Diego Murillo, Alaska Airlines rescheduled their trip from PDX to an 11 p.m. departure.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s air safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said, “Whenever you have a rapid decompression such as this, it’s a major safety event.”

According to Brickhouse, passengers should always secure their seatbelts when seated on an airliner, even when the light is off. He also mentioned that the oxygen mask system seemed to be working correctly.

According to FAA records, Alaska Airlines received the new MAX 9 in the latter half of October, and certification was granted at the beginning of November.

Boeing had already requested that airlines check all 737 MAX planes for a potential rudder control system bolt that could be loose.

If more hardware issues are detected, the FAA may take further action, which is why they are keeping a careful eye on these inspections.

Two tragic incidents in 2018 and 2019, resulting in 346 casualties in Ethiopia and Indonesia, caused the 737 MAX to be grounded for a period of 20 months. Both the larger MAX 10 and the smaller 737 MAX 7 are still pending certification from Boeing.