Photo gallery – USA, plane door comes off: emergency landing in Portland
Terror in the US skies: An Alaska Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon because a window and part of its fuselage exploded in the air shortly after takeoff. A passenger sent Katu-tv a photo showing a hole in the side of the plane next to the passenger seats. More pictures and videos circulated on X and Tiktok. No serious injuries were reported. So scary on board. The airline said the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.
According to flight tracking data from the FlightAware website, the plane was diverted after climbing to 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) about six minutes after takeoff at 5:07 p.m. The emergency landing took place at 5:26 p.m. The hole, which opened shortly after takeoff, caused a loss of pressure in the cabin.
After the crash, Alaska Airlines grounded all Boeing 737-9 aircraft. “Following the incident on Flight 1282, we have decided to temporarily ground our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft as a precautionary measure,” said Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines. “My thoughts are with those who were on this flight: I am so sorry for what you experienced.”
Each plane will be returned to service after full maintenance and safety inspections, which the airline expects to complete within days, Minicucci said. “We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what happened and will provide updates as more information becomes available,” he concluded.