02:26 – Source: CNN
Flight makes emergency landing after window reportedly burst after takeoff
CNN –
Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 Max planes after one of its planes made an emergency landing in Oregon on Friday, officials said – an incident in which a panel and window burst during the flight, according to a passenger .
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, flying from Portland to Ontario, California, returned safely to Portland International Airport around 5:00 p.m. PT after “the crew reported a problem with the pressure equalization,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Part of the fuselage, including the window, came off shortly after takeoff, Kyle Rinker, a passenger on the flight, told CNN.
“It was really abrupt. I was just getting to altitude and the window/wall just popped off and I didn't notice it until the oxygen masks were taken off,” Rinker said.
After landing, firefighters were called to examine minor injuries. No serious injuries were reported, the Port of Portland Fire Department said.
A passenger's video posted on social media shows that a side part of the plane's fuselage where a window would have been was missing, exposing passengers to outside air. The video, which appears to have been shot from several rows behind the incident, shows oxygen masks throughout the plane and at least two people sitting near and directly behind the missing section.
In a statement late Friday, Alaska Airlines said it was working with Boeing to determine what happened on Flight 1282. The aircraft is a 737 Max 9, which received its certificate of airworthiness on October 25, 2023, according to the FAA.
The grounded fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft is expected to undergo extensive maintenance and safety inspections in the next few days before returning to service, the airline said.
“My condolences go out to everyone who was on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
Although the airline acknowledged an incident on Friday's Flight 1282, it did not elaborate on what the incident entailed. The airline said the plane “landed safely at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and six crew members.”
According to FlightAware, the flight was in the air for about 20 minutes. The plane took off from Portland International Airport at around 5:07 p.m. local time and landed at 5:27 p.m
Evan Smith, a passenger on the plane, told CNN affiliate KPTV that he was seated at least six rows from the area where the incident occurred. “There was a really loud bang at the back of the plane and a hissing noise and all the masks fell off,” Smith said.
Emma Vu, another passenger, was sleeping in her seat and woke up feeling like she was falling and seeing the emergency masks falling off, she told CNN in a phone call on Friday. Apparently she woke up after the panel part popped off; It wasn't clear how close she was to the missing plaque.
Vu said she texted her emergency code word to her parents to inform them of the incident. “I’ve never had to use it before, but I knew this was that moment,” Vu said.
People sitting on either side of her comforted her, she said. “The flight attendant also came over and told me everything was going to be okay,” Vu said. “The fact that everyone was kind of freaking out and she took the time to make me feel like I was the only passenger — honestly, that was really sweet.”
Vu planned to take another flight to her scheduled destination Saturday morning, she said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, both agencies said.
In a statement to CNN, Boeing said it was aware of an incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and was working to gather more information.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN's Paradise Afshar and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.