Federal authorities have ordered an immediate grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners following a harrowing blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, resulting in a substantial fuselage hole. Inspections, averaging four to eight hours per aircraft, are underway for 171 airplanes worldwide.
More than a quarter of the fleet inspected has shown no concerning findings, according to the company’s statement. Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci acknowledges the potential for days of inspections on the 65 grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, constituting a fifth of the company’s 314 planes.
The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation. The incident occurred on Flight 1282, departing Portland for Ontario, California, resulting in an emergency landing after a window and fuselage section blew out at 16,000 feet. The aircraft, certified two months ago, had been on its third flight of the day.
Videos posted by passengers reveal the frightening scene, with applause following the safe landing. The Association of Flight Attendants commends the crew for prioritizing passenger safety.
Passenger Evan Smith said a boy and his mother were sitting in the row where the window blew out and the child’s shirt was sucked off him and out of the plane.
“You heard a big loud bang to the left rear. A whooshing sound and all the oxygen masks deployed instantly and everyone got those on,” Smith told KATU-TV.
Photo Credit: Daily Mail US
The aircraft involved rolled off the assembly line and received its certification just two months ago, according to online FAA records. The plane had been on 145 flights since entering commercial service on Nov. 11, said FlightRadar24, another tracking service. The flight from Portland was the aircraft’s third of the day.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said the inspection of the company 737-9 fleet aircraft could take days to complete. They make up a fifth of the company’s 314 planes. It wasn’t immediately known Saturday how that would affect the company’s flight schedule.
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred … and will share updates as more information is available,” Minicucci said. “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced.”
The Port of Portland, which operates the airport, told KPTV that the fire department treated minor injuries at the scene. One person was taken for more treatment, but wasn’t seriously hurt.
Flight 1282 had taken off from Portland at 5:07 p.m. Friday for a two-hour flight to Ontario, California. About six minutes later, the window and a chunk of the fuselage blew out as the plane was at about 16,000 feet (4.8 kilometers). One of the pilots declared an emergency and asked for clearance to descend to 10,000 feet (3 kilometers), the altitude where the air would have enough oxygen to breathe safely.
‘We need to turn back to Portland,” the pilot told controllers in a calm voice that she maintained throughout the landing process.
This incident echoes the troubled history of Max 8 jets, which faced a global grounding after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The FAA has issued previous directives, including limiting anti-ice system use, raising concerns about potential manufacturing flaws. Delivery interruptions and recent warnings about a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system add to the scrutiny on Boeing’s newest 737 variant.
Credit: AP
