A “plugged” rear mid-cabin emergency exit door on an Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX separated from the aircraft minutes after takeoff, triggering a rapid decompression event. An emergency was declared and the aircraft returned to Portland.
Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX Exit Door Separates After Takeoff, Causing Rapid Decompression And Forcing Emergency Landing
Here’s a quick summary of what occurred:
- The incident occurred on Alaska flight 1282, traveling from Portland, Oregon (PDX) to Ontario, California (ONT) at 5:06 pm on Friday, January 5, 2024
- The aircraft, a Boeing 737-9 MAX (registration number N704AL) was delivered to Alaska Airlines in October 2023
- Earlier in the day it had flown from New York (JFK) to PDX
- Minutes after takeoff, the rear mid-cabin exit door separated from the aircraft
- On all 737-9 MAX aircraft, Boeing installs a rear cabin exit door aft of the wings but forward of the rear exit door
- These are used on carriers with denser seating configurations to satisfy regulatory evacuation requirements
- Alaska Airlines has permanently “plugged” this exit door because its configuration is not dense enough to require it
- It is not yet clear how or why this “plugged” exit fell off the aircraft
- Oxygen masks were immediately deployed
- Pilots declared a rapid decompression event and requested emergency clearance to return to Portland International Airport
- The sudden depressurization ripped a child’s shirt off and sucked out many mobile phones and other loose articles
- No passenger was seated in seat 26A where the blowout occurred
- The aircraft landed safely at 5:26 pm PT, 20 minutes after takeoff
- 171 passengers, two pilots, and four flight attendants were onboard
- No injuries were reported
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NSTSB) is investigating the incident
Video onboard taken by a passenger and posted on TikTok:
The “plugged” emergency exit:
— avgeekjake (@avgeekjake) January 6, 2024
The flight route:
Statement from Alaska Airlines:
“While this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to safely manage the situation. We are investigating what happened and will share more information as it becomes available.”
Statement from Boeing:
“We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282,” the company said in a statement. “We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation.”
Statement from the NTSB:
“NTSB is investigating an event involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. We will post any updates regarding the investigation when they are available.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
I’ve long thought that this plug should be an emergency exit. Years ago, KLM plugged the overwing exit on 747-200SUD aircraft so that it only had 8 exits, not 10.
Not as scary as when an Aloha jet lost it’s roof , but still … Maybe the priorities ought Not be more and more seats , and more and more carry-ons . How about less passengers , less carry-ons , and more common sense ?
$10 drop in Boeing stock coming Monday morning.