Boeing’s 737 MAX airliners grounded yet again after emergency door breaks off during flight
Alaska Airlines has announced all Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft have been temporarily grounded after an emergency door broke off a brand new plane mid-flight this week, according to reports.
The shocking incident unfolded on Friday evening aboard a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California.
Flight 1282 departed Portland International Airport just before 5 p.m. carrying more than 170 passengers and half a dozen crew members.
Approximately 20 minutes later, an emergency door suddenly broke away, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the aircraft.
Footage and photographs have been circulating on social media.
Alaska Airlines announced late Friday that it grounded all 65 of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft, hours after a window and piece of fuselage on one of the planes blew out in midair and forced an emergency landing in Portland.
Read: https://t.co/e3cdexQRXn pic.twitter.com/PgyH51mQPL
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) January 6, 2024
Passengers could be seen sitting with oxygen masks strapped to their faces as the pilots circled back for an emergency landing in Portland.
?#UPDATE: More photos show the damage after the severe depressurization of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The flight was operated by a Boeing 737-9 MAX, which rolled off the assembly line just two months ago and received certification in November 2023. pic.twitter.com/nBiCwJbDpm
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 6, 2024
“One passenger we talked to at the airport said that a kid had to be held in his seat by his mom and people lost their phones which were sucked out of the plane,” KPTV reports.
“That same child closest to the damaged part of the plane lost his shirt due to the violent and sudden depressurization but otherwise everyone on board appeared to be OK, according to a passenger.”
The aircraft reportedly reached an altitude of around 16,000 feet before its return to origin.
When the wall of the plane just breaks off mid flight @AlaskaAir pic.twitter.com/pMWhpiHmFY
— Kyle Rinker (@Kyrinker) January 6, 2024
The plane landed safely back in Portland and no major injuries were reported.
On Saturday, Alaska Airlines announced all 65 Boeing MAX-9 aircraft in the company’s fleet have been grounding pending safety inspections and any relevant maintenance.
Flight 1282 and our next steps with the Boeing MAX-9: https://t.co/LFxJvQYNcA pic.twitter.com/oemRokr1tz
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available. The NTSB is investigating this event and we will fully support their investigation,” CEO Ben Minicucci explained in a statement.
Boeing’s 737 MAX airliner has been riddled with malfunctions and design errors since its introduction in 2017, as InfoWars has reported.
Two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft unfolded just months apart in 2018 and 2019.