2024-01-06 22:14:19
The US federal aviation agency is investigating an incident with an Alaska Airlines Boeing Max 737 plane that, according to images published in some media, lost part of its fuselage in mid-flight, although it was able to land without major setbacks at the Portland airport. . The flight to Ontario, California, had reached 16,000 feet (4,876 m) when it began its emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.
The airline explained that “Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, experienced an incident shortly after takeoff. The plane landed safely with 171 guests and 6 crew members.”
“Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 returned safely to Portland International Airport after the crew reported a pressurization problem. The plane was en route to Ontario International Airport in California,” says a statement from the Agency. According to images provided by some passengers and that are being broadcast by American media, a fuselage panel, including the window, detached shortly after takeoff.
A witness cited by CNN says that the fuselage detached when the plane gained altitude and that he did not realize until he was able to remove his oxygen mask. The plane, a Boeing 737 Max, carried 171 passengers and six crew members and was only in flight for approximately 35 minutes after taking off from Portland Airport.
The airline, Alaska Airlines, said through the social network X (formerly Twitter) that it has decided to “ground” its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft. Each aircraft will return to service only after completing full maintenance and safety inspections.” He also said they were working with Boeing and regulators “to understand what occurred tonight.” For its part, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), regulator of US airlines, ordered the grounding of at least 171 737 Max 9 aircraft.
“The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority, so while this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to handle the situation safely. We are investigating what happened and “We will share more information as it becomes available,” the airline said.
Also through the social network X, the Boeing company said that they were “aware of the incident involving the Alaska Airlines flight.” “We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team is ready to support the investigation,” they said.
Passenger testimonials
The BBC has gathered testimonies from some passengers who were on board, such as Evan Smith: “There was a very loud bang on the left rear of the plane and a thud. All the air masks fell. They said there was a child in that line where they sucked his shirt off and took him off the plane and his mother was holding him down to make sure he didn’t leave.” Diego Murillo explained that the hole was “as wide as a refrigerator.” Fellow passenger Elizabeth Lee added: “Part of the plane was missing and the wind was extremely strong… but everyone was in their seats and had their seatbelts on.” Jessica Montoia described the flight as a “trip from hell,” adding that the wind knocked a phone out of a man’s hand.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in statements reported by the British public broadcaster that the 737 Max will return to service “only after completing all safety and maintenance inspections.” And he added: “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight. I am very sorry for what they experienced,” Minicucci said. “I am very grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
With information from Efe
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