Alaska Airlines grounds 737 Max 9 planes after window blows out mid-air
A commercial airplane experienced a mid-air incident, leading to the emergency landing in the state of Oregon on Friday.
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, en route to California, had to return to Portland 35 minutes into the flight after a section of its fuselage, including a window, detached.
Alaska Airlines confirmed that all 177 passengers and crew onboard landed safely, but as a precautionary measure, the airline announced the “temporary” grounding of its entire fleet of 65 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for thorough inspections.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci stated, “Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.”
He commended the efforts of the six crew members during the emergency descent, noting that the flight had reached an altitude of over 16,000 feet at the time.
Images circulated by news outlets revealed the night sky visible through the opening in the fuselage, with debris, including insulation material, visible. Photos also showed an unoccupied window seat leaning forward without its cushion in the affected section.
Expressing empathy for the passengers, Minicucci stated, “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
Photographs shared on social media depicted the damaged area located in the rear third of the plane, situated behind the wing and engines.
The section of fuselage involved appears to be an area that can be used as an additional emergency exit door by some operators of the aircraft type, but not by Alaska.
The US Federal Aviation Agency confirmed the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “returned safely… after the crew reported a pressurisation issue”.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was “working to gather more information”.
“A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation,” it said.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it is investigating the incident.
The Boeing 737 Max has been described as “the most scrutinised transport aircraft in history” after a series of safety issues and investigations.
The Max was grounded in March 2019 for a year-and-a-half after two of the type crashed in similar circumstances, killing those on board.
To fly again, each Max plane underwent significant modifications, although the changes would not be visible from the outside and passengers would not notice any difference.
More recently, Boeing said it would increase the pace of 737 Max deliveries after resolving a supply error that required it to conduct lengthy inspections of new planes and its inventory, Reuters news agency reported.
About 1,300 737 Max aircraft have been delivered to customers, Boeing data shows.
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged airlines to inspect Max models for a possible loose bolt in rudder control systems.
