New Delhi: An emergency unfolded for an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft on Saturday as one of its doors unexpectedly blew open mid-air mere minutes after takeoff. Passengers’ videos captured the alarming scene, revealing the complete separation of the mid-cabin exit door from the aircraft.
Alaska Airlines addressed the incident involving Flight AS1282 from Portland to Ontario, CA (California), stating, “The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members. We are investigating what happened and will share more as it becomes available.”
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced its investigation into the event, posting updates on X. According to real-time aircraft movement monitor Flightradar24, the plane reached a maximum altitude of 16,325 feet before safely diverting back to Portland.
The Boeing 737 MAX in question, delivered to Alaska Airlines on October 1, 2023, and in commercial service since November 11, 2023, with only 145 flights under its belt, experienced the unusual incident. Flightradar24 noted that the 737-9 MAX typically features a rear cabin exit door activated in dense seating configurations for evacuation purposes. However, these doors remain permanently “plugged” and inactive on Alaska Airlines aircraft.
Boeing responded to the situation, expressing awareness and readiness to support the investigation. In their statement, Boeing said, “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight #AS1282. 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.”