- Written by Thomas Mackintosh and Catherine Armstrong
- BBC News
Watch: Inside an Alaska Airlines plane as part of it explodes in midair
A passenger plane lost part of its body in mid-air, forcing it to make an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane turned back minutes after its flight to California after an exterior section, including a window, fell off on Friday.
It had 177 passengers and crew on board and landed safely in Portland.
The airline said it would temporarily ground all 65 of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspections.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was “working to gather more information.”
The British Civil Aviation Authority told the BBC that it was “monitoring the situation closely.”
“There was a very strong explosion towards the left rear of the plane, and all the air masks fell off,” said Evan Smith, one of the 171 passengers on board.
“They said there was a kid in that row who had his shirt pulled off him and he got off the plane and his mother was holding on to him to make sure he didn't go with him.”
Diego Murillo said the gap was “as wide as a refrigerator.”
Passenger Elizabeth Lee added: “Part of the plane was missing and the wind was very strong. But everyone was in their seats and had their belts on.”
Jessica Montoya described the trip as “a trip from hell,” adding that the wind snatched a phone from a man's hand.
Listen: Alaska flight mayday call to air traffic control
“Each aircraft will not return to service until full maintenance and safety checks are completed,” Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Airlines, said while announcing the grounding of the 65 aircraft.
The flight to Ontario, California, reached an altitude of 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) when it began its emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.
the pictures Sent to the media The night sky is visible through the gap in the fuselage, with insulation and other debris also visible.
Image source, Elizabeth/CBS News
Oxygen masks were deployed during the accident, which began at 16,000 feet shortly after takeoff
Other photos show the seat closest to the damaged section, a window seat that passengers said was vacant, leaning forward without its cushion.
“My heart goes out to those on this flight. I'm so sorry for what they went through,” Minicucci said. “I am very grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
“We are an emergency”
In an audio clip, the pilot can be heard speaking to air traffic control and requesting that the plane be diverted.
“We are in a state of emergency,” she said. “We are depressed, we need to get back.”
According to the photos, the affected area was in the back third of the plane, behind the wing and engines.
The portion of the fuselage in question appears to be an area that could be used as an additional emergency exit door by some operators, but not by Alaska.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 “returned safely… after the crew reported a pressure issue.”
Boeing said, “A technical team is on standby to support the investigation.”
Flydubai told the BBC that its three Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft have a “different configuration with mid-aft cabin exits” compared to Alaska Airlines planes, and have completed recent safety checks.
A company spokeswoman added: “We will follow any guidance issued by Boeing as soon as more information becomes available.”
Passengers said the seat immediately adjacent to the broken fuselage was vacant
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident.
The Boeing 737 MAX has been described as “the most scrutinized transport aircraft in history” after a series of safety issues.
The MAX was grounded in March 2019 for a year and a half after two such aircraft crashed in similar circumstances, killing those on board.
Aviation expert John Strickland said the Alaska Airlines incident was very different from those incidents, adding that since the 737 MAX returned to service, it had a “tremendous safety record.”
He told the BBC: “Although we know little evidence about why this part of the fuselage came out, this has nothing to do with the plane being grounded for 18 months.”
“But it is natural for Alaska Airlines to take a cautious approach in grounding its fleet.”
More recently, Boeing said it would increase the pace of deliveries of 737 MAX aircraft after resolving a supply error that required it to conduct lengthy inspections of new planes and their inventory, Reuters reported.
Boeing data shows that about 1,300 737 MAX aircraft have been delivered to customers.
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