Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 returns to PDX after losing pressure shortly after takeoff
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) —
An Alaska Airlines flight from Portland to Ontario, California experienced a loss of pressure Friday afternoon.
Alaska Flight 1282 departed Portland shortly after 5 p.m. and was able to return to PDX without further incident.
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Once the plane was back on the ground, KATU News confirmed that the missing part of the fuselage was indeed an exit door.
Robert Katz, a commercial pilot and flight instructor, tells KATU News that based on the photos he has seen, the door must have been forcibly torn off.
“Portland approach, Alaska 1282 emergency! “The aircraft is now heading in a left turn at 12,000 degrees on course three, four, zero,” an Alaska pilot said in recordings from LIVEATC.net.
Stephanie King was a passenger on the flight and shared this video of the plane landing at PDX.
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Evan Smith was visiting Portland and was on a plane. “They heard a loud loud bang in the back left. A whooshing sound and all the oxygen masks opened immediately and everyone put them on.”
According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.com, the plane reached an altitude of 16,000 feet before returning to the airport.
“We are in an emergency, we are depressurized, we have to return, we have 177 passengers. “The fuel is 188,” the pilot says after air traffic control cleared the plane to fly at a lower altitude.
There was a boy and his mother sitting in that row, his shirt being sucked out of the plane. “His mother held him,” Smith said.
Alaska Airlines issued a statement saying: “Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California experienced an incident shortly after departure this evening. The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 174 guests and 6 crew members. We are investigating what happened and will share more information as it becomes available.
Passenger Elizabeth filmed this video and posted it to her TikTok account. She tells KATU News she's glad everyone is OK.
According to an FAA record posted online, the Boeing 737-9 MAX rolled off the assembly line just two months ago and received certification in November 2023.
Around 9:30 p.m. Friday, Boeing issued a statement: “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight #AS1282. We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team is standing by to assist in the investigation.
At 11:40 p.m., Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci issued a statement:
At Alaska Airlines, safety is our core value and the most important thing we focus on every day. Following today's incident on Flight 1282, we have decided to temporarily ground our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft as a precautionary measure. Each aircraft will not return to service until full maintenance and safety inspections have been completed. We expect all inspections to be completed in the next few days.
I am personally committed to doing everything in our power to conduct this review in a timely and transparent manner.
We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what happened tonight and will provide updates as more information becomes available. The NTSB is investigating this incident and we will fully support their investigation.
My condolences go out to everyone who was on this flight – I'm so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants. We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and working to support guests traveling in the coming days.
Information for affected guests:
Guests whose flights are affected by this ban will be notified with next steps and are also asked to visit alaskaair.com for self-service options. We deeply apologize to our guests and are working to accommodate everyone as quickly as possible.
This is a developing story and we will update it as more information becomes available.