An Alaska Airlines plane made an emergency landing in Oregon on Friday after a window and a piece of the plane’s fuselage exploded shortly after takeoff and the large hole caused a pressure drop in the cabin.
Flight data showed that the plane rose to 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) before returning to Portland International Airport. The airline said that the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members on board.
Alaska Airlines did not provide any information about whether anyone was injured or the possible cause. In a short email statement, the airline said that Flight 1282 from Portland to Ontario, California, was involved in an accident shortly after departure, and more information will be provided at a later date.
The plane was diverted about six minutes after take-off at 5:07 pm, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Flight tracking data From FlightAware. It landed at 5:26 p.m
The pilot told air traffic controllers in Portland that the plane had experienced an emergency, was low in pressure and needed to return to the airport, according to the recording published by the site. LiveATC.net.
Send a passenger Kato-TV In Portland, a picture shows the hole in the side of the plane next to the passenger seats. A video shared with the station showed people wearing oxygen masks and passengers clapping as the plane landed.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it is investigating an event on the plane and will post updates when they are available. The FAA also said it would investigate the matter.
The Boeing 737-9 MAX plane involved in the accident rolled off the assembly line and received its certification just two months ago, according to the British Daily Mail. FAA records online.
Another tracking service, FlightRadar24, said the plane had been making 145 flights since entering commercial service on November 11. The flight from Portland was the plane’s third flight of the day.
Boeing said it is aware of the incident, is working to gather more information and is prepared to support the investigation.
The MAX is the latest version of Boeing’s venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The aircraft entered service in May 2017.
Two Max 8 planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and leaving nearly two people dead. Earthing around the world For all Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft. The planes returned to service only after Boeing made changes to the automated flight control system involved in the accident.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration required pilots to do so Limit usage An anti-icing system was used on the Max in dry conditions due to concern that the inlets around the engines would overheat and separate, potentially causing the plane to crash.
Peak deliveries were occasionally interrupted to fix manufacturing defects. The company asked airlines in December to inspect the planes for a possibility Loose bolt In the rudder control system.
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Associated Press reporter David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.