An Alaskan Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its windows blew out mid-flight forcing the airline to ground its entire fleet.
The flight, which was headed from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, was carrying 177 passengers and crew when it lost a portion of its fuselage just 35 minutes into the flight.
The plane “landed safely” after returning to PDX on Friday.
Following the incident, the airline said it would “temporarily” ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft as it conducts inspections.
Alaska Airlines flight makes emergency landing after window blows out at 16,000ft - Entire fleet grounded
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“Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said.
Footage sent to US news outlets shows the night sky clearly visible through a gap in the plane’s fuselage.
The area affected was reportedly not an emergency door but just a regular window on the plane.
“My heart goes out to those who were on this flight - I am so sorry for what you experienced,” Minicucci said.
“I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
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Footage sent to US news outlets shows the night sky clearly visible through a gap in the plane’s fuselage
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He continued by praising the six crew members on board for their quick thinking and keeping passengers calm.
According to one passenger who took the video, the seat closest to the window was unoccupied but could be seen leaning forward without its cushion.
The US Federal Aviation Agency confirmed that Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “returned safely... after the crew reported a pressurisation issue”.
Boeing has also been made aware of the incident and said it was “working to gather more information”.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it is investigating the Alaska Airlines incident
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“A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation,” the aviation company said.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it is investigating the incident.
Minicucci continued: “I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent way.
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available.”
