Portland, Oregon – Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft following an emergency landing at Portland International Airport on Friday. The incident involved a panel and window blowing out during the flight, as reported by a passenger. Flight 1282, en route from Portland to Ontario, California, returned safely to the airport after the crew reported a pressurization issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Passenger Kyle Rinker recounted that shortly after takeoff, a panel of the fuselage, including the window, popped off. Rinker recalled, “It was really abrupt. Just got to altitude, and the window/wall just popped off and didn’t notice it until the oxygen masks came off.” Firefighters assessed minor injuries upon landing, with no serious injuries reported.
Video footage posted on social media showed a section of the fuselage missing, exposing passengers to the outside air. The airline, in partnership with Boeing, is investigating the incident on Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9 that received its certificate of airworthiness on October 25, 2023, according to the FAA.
Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft for full maintenance and safety inspections, which will take several days to complete. The airline expressed sympathy for the passengers on Flight 1282, with CEO Ben Minicucci conveying apologies for their experience.
While the specifics of the incident have not been disclosed, the plane landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 passengers and six crew members. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct investigations.
Boeing issued a statement saying it is aware of the incident and is actively gathering additional information. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge, according to sources.
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Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft after an emergency landing incident in which a panel and window blew out mid-flight. Flight 1282, headed from Portland to Ontario, California, returned safely to Portland International Airport with no serious injuries reported. The airline is working with Boeing to investigate the incident, and the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will conduct their own investigations. All passengers and crew members onboard are accounted for, and the grounded fleet will undergo maintenance and safety inspections before resuming service. This is a developing story.