An Alaska Airlines flight turned into a nightmare after a part of the plane blew out mid-flight, reportedly sucking out passengers' belongings and forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in Portland. Audio recordings captured the tense moment when the pilot operating the new Boeing 737 Max plane, called for help after a window blew out shortly after takeoff.
The plane, heading to Ontario, California, took off from Portland International Airport at 4:52 p.m. on Friday. However, it returned just 35 minutes later following the frightening incident, as indicated by data from the flight tracking website Flight Aware. There were 171 passengers and 6 crew members aboard the flight.
Near-Death Experience
Shortly after takeoff, the flight "experienced an incident," American Airlines said in a statement, without divulging further. Audio recordings captured the moment the pilot of the flight asked for immediate help after the window blew out.
The unidentified female pilot urgently radioed, "Portland approach, Alaska 1282 emergency! Aircraft is now leveling 12,000 in a left turn heading three four zero," following the dramatic events that unfolded over the skies of Portland, Oregon, on Friday evening.
"We need a divert. We've declared an emergency. We are depressurized. We have 177 passengers on board and a seal is...18,900," the pilot can be heard saying.
The catastrophic failure resulted in cabin depressurization, causing the force of the rushing air to tear the shirt off a young boy. A mother was seen gripping her son tightly, while passengers watched their phones being sucked out into the night sky.
Luckily, there were no reported injuries on the plane, which had entered service in November 2023.
Boeing, Alaska Airlines, and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched investigations into the matter.
Passengers described hearing a 'loud boom' followed by an eerie silence as the plane executed its emergency landing back in Portland approximately 40 minutes later.
Harrowing Experience
Frightening video footage captured passengers peering through the wide opening in the fuselage, overlooking the twinkling lights of Portland below. A passenger told KPTV that a child had to be restrained in his seat by his mother.
Images obtained by KTPV reveal the massive section missing from the plane's fuselage. Following the detachment of the piece, passengers used deployed oxygen masks as they awaited the plane's landing, according to several individuals on board who chose not to disclose their names to the outlet.
A 20-year-old woman named Elizabeth shared with Oregon Live that it sounded like "your ears were popping, like normally on a plane, but 10 times louder. I couldn't believe it was real."
"We were all calm," she said of her fellow passenger, "but I did feel like I was about to cry, because who knows this could be my last few moments."
Fortunately, reports indicate that seat 26A, positioned next to what seemed to be an emergency exit with a window, was empty.
Although a door is available in the plane's design in that location, Alaska chose not to activate it, as Boeing deactivated the doors before delivery. Internally, it appears like a regular window seat, but externally, the frame of the deactivated door remains visible.
The emergency exit doors are designed to open inwardly and cannot be pushed outward, according to Airline Reporter. The National Safety Transportation Board is investigating the incident and will provide updates when available.
The Boeing 737-9 MAX, manufactured just two months ago, obtained certification in November 2023, according to FAA records posted online.
