Shortly after taking off on Friday, a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft was forced to perform an emergency landing as a door plug dislodged, puncturing a hole in the fuselage near seat 26A, when it reached an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, mentioned that had the Alaska Airlines flight climbed to its intended altitude of over 30,000 feet, the situation could have been far more serious, potentially with passengers moving about the cabin.
“We could have faced a significantly more tragic outcome,” Homendy informed reporters on Saturday evening.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks to the media about the investigation on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
Craig Mitchelldyer/AP
NTSB investigators arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday to commence their inquiry into the events surrounding Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The team, known as the “Go Team”, consists of professionals in “structures, operations and systems.”
Homendy mentioned that the team will closely collaborate with representatives from Boeing, Alaska Airlines, the Federal Aviation Authority, and organizations representing pilots and flight attendants.
The FAA announced earlier on Saturday that it would temporarily ground specific Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory until they were thoroughly inspected. The FAA specified that approximately 171 planes worldwide would be affected by this temporary suspension.
Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9 which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a part of the fuselage broke off mid-flight on Friday, is parked at a maintenance hanger in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
Craig Mitchelldyer/AP
Boeing affirmed in a statement that safety is their “foremost priority.”
“We concur with and wholeheartedly support the FAA’s directive to promptly inspect 737-9 aircraft with the same configuration as the affected airplane,” Boeing stated.
Homendy noted that the incident had been classified as an “accident” rather than an “incident.” This classification is utilized by the NTSB when an aircraft sustains “significant damage.”
One of the key priorities for investigators is tracing the location of the dislodged plug from the fuselage, according to Homendy. She requested assistance from the public, stating her belief that it may have fallen to the ground in Cedar Hills, an area a few miles west of downtown Portland.
She mentioned that the plug may have fallen near Barnes Road and Oregon Route 217.
This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport, on Jan. 5, 2024.
Elizabeth Le via AP
The plug had covered a section of the fuselage wider than a window. Ordinarily, when an airline acquires an aircraft, Boeing constructs the frame and inserts plugs depending on the carrier’s requirements.
Homendy stated that the specific aircraft used for Flight 1282 had been certified for 189 passengers, so Alaska Airlines did not require emergency exit doors to be installed where the door plug was. She mentioned that if the aircraft had been configured for a higher passenger density, like 215 or 220 passengers, then emergency exit doors would have been necessary.
The airline stated that there were six crew members and 171 passengers on board Flight 1282, headed to Ontario, California.
“The safety of our guests and employees is always our primary priority,” Alaska Airlines stated, “so while this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to safely manage the situation.”
ABC News’ Amanda Maile, Meredith Deliso and Riley Hoffman contributed to this story.
