WASHINGTON: US-based Alaska Airways grounded all its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on Friday (Jan 5) after a flight with 177 individuals onboard made an emergency touchdown within the state of Oregon, with passengers saying a window panel blew out after takeoff.
Flight 1282 departed from Portland Worldwide Airport on Friday night earlier than returning safely round 20 minutes later after cabin crew reported a “pressurisation problem,” in response to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Pictures posted on social media confirmed the window panel of a aircraft blown out, with emergency oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.
“Following tonight’s occasion on Flight 1282, now we have determined to take the precautionary step of briefly grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 plane,” Alaska Airways CEO Ben Minicucci mentioned in a press release.
“Every plane will probably be returned to service solely after completion of full upkeep and security inspections,” he mentioned, anticipating checks could be completed in just a few days.
Kyle Rinker, a passenger on the flight, advised CNN {that a} window popped off quickly after takeoff.
“It was actually abrupt. Simply obtained to altitude, and the window/wall simply popped off and did not discover it till the oxygen masks got here off,” he advised the broadcaster.
One other passenger, Vi Nguyen, advised The New York Occasions {that a} loud noise in the course of the flight had woken her.
“I open up my eyes and the very first thing I see is the oxygen masks proper in entrance of me,” Nguyen advised the newspaper. “And I look to the left and the wall on the aspect of the aircraft is gone.”
“The very first thing I assumed was, ‘I’ll die,'” she added.
