WASHINGTON: US-based Alaska Airlines grounded all its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on Friday after a flight with 177 people onboard made an emergency landing in the state of Oregon, with passengers saying a window panel blew out after takeoff.

Flight 1282 departed from Portland International Airport before returning safely around 20 minutes later after cabin crew reported a “pressurisation issue,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Images posted on social media showed the window panel of a plane blown out, with emergency oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

“Following tonight’s event on Flight 1282, we have decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement. “Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections,” he said, anticipating checks would be finished in a few days.

Kyle Rinker, a passenger on the flight, told CNN that a window popped off soon after takeoff.

“It was really abrupt. Just got to altitude, and the window/wall just popped off and didn’t notice it until the oxygen masks came off,” he told the broadcaster. Another passenger, Vi Nguyen, told The New York Times that a loud noise during the flight had woken her.

“I open up my eyes and the first thing I see is the oxygen mask right in front of me,” Nguyen told the newspaper. “And I look to the left and the wall on the side of the plane is gone.” “The first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to die,’” she added.

The National Transportation Safety Board, FAA and Alaska Airlines each said they were investigating the incident.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2024