- Written by Thomas Mackintosh & Kathryn Armstrong
- bbc news
WATCH: ‘Journey from Hell’: Inside the plane during the air eruption
Alaska Airlines announced it has returned some of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to service after one of its planes lost part of its fuselage during flight.
The airline said the tests revealed “no findings of concern” and apologized to those affected.
On Friday, one of the airline’s passenger planes had to make an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon after the outer part of the plane fell off.
The plane, carrying 177 passengers and crew, landed safely in Portland.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was “working to gather further information.”
Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority told the BBC it was “monitoring the situation very closely”.
Evan Smith, one of the 171 passengers on board, said: “There was a very loud bang and hiss towards the rear left side of the plane and all the air masks fell off.”
“There was a kid in that row who fell out of the plane with his shirt sucked off, and his mother was holding onto him to keep him from following.”
Diego Murillo said the difference is “as big as a refrigerator.”
Fellow passenger Elizabeth Lee added: “Parts of the plane were missing and the wind was very loud. But everyone was in their seats and buckled up.”
Jessica Montoia described the flight as a “journey from hell,” adding that the wind snatched her phone from the man’s hand.
Listen: Alaska Airlines distress signal to air traffic control
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci announced the grounding of 65 aircraft, saying, “Each aircraft will return to service only after complete maintenance and safety inspections have been completed.”
In a later statement, it said more than a quarter of those plans had been inspected and no problems were found and would resume operations.
The Ontario, California-bound plane had reached an altitude of 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) when it began its emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.
image sent to the press You can see the night sky through gaps in the fuselage, as well as insulation and other debris.
image source, Elizabeth/CBS News
Oxygen masks were deployed in the accident, which began at 16,000 feet shortly after takeoff.
Other photos show the seats closest to the affected section, the window seats that passengers said were empty, leaning forward without cushions.
“My deepest condolences go out to those on board this flight. I am truly sorry that they had to go through this experience,” Minicucci said. “I am very grateful to the pilots and flight attendants for their support.”
“It’s an emergency.”
In the audio clip, the pilot can be heard telling air traffic control to request a change of course.
“We are in a state of emergency,” she said. “We’re losing pressure, so we need to go back.”
According to photos, the damaged area was in the rear third of the plane, behind the wings and engine.
The fuselage section involved appears to be an area that could be used as an additional exit door by some operators, but not by Alaska Airlines.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “returned safely after the crew reported a pressurization issue.”
Boeing said its “technical team stands ready to assist in the investigation.”
Flydubai told the BBC that its three Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft have a “different rear cabin exit configuration” compared to Alaska Airlines’ aircraft, and that it recently completed safety inspections.
“We will follow guidance issued by Boeing as more information becomes available,” the spokesperson added.
The section of the fuselage involved appears to be an area that could be an additional emergency exit door for some operators, but not Alaska
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident.
Boeing’s 737 Max has been described as the “most scrutinized transport aircraft in history” after a series of safety issues.
The Max was grounded for a year and a half in March 2019 after two similar planes collided in similar circumstances, killing everyone on board.
Aviation expert John Strickland said the Alaska Airlines crash was very different from those crashes, adding that the 737 MAX has had a “tremendous safety record” since returning to service. .
He told BBC News: “We have very little evidence as to why this part of the fuselage came off, but this has nothing to do with the aircraft being grounded for 18 months.” Ta.
“But it makes sense that Alaska Airlines would take a cautious approach to grounding its aircraft.”
Just recently, Boeing announced it would increase the pace of 737 Max deliveries after resolving a supply glitch that required lengthy inspections of new planes and inventory, according to Reuters.
Approximately 1,300 737 Max aircraft have been delivered to customers, according to Boeing data.
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