Alaska Airlines announced late Friday that it was grounding all 65 of its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after they experienced an “explosive decompression” mid-flight.
photos and videos Photos shared by passengers show the plane's window section completely missing and a large hole in the side of the fuselage next to the seats.
The incident occurred Friday night on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California. The flight made an emergency landing in Portland, but no injuries were reported, the airline said.
Passenger Evan Smith said the boy and his mother were sitting in the row where the windows were blown out, and the child's shirt was sucked off the boy and the plane.
“We heard a loud bang in the rear left. There was a hissing sound and all the oxygen masks were immediately deployed and everyone put them on,” Smith said. told KATU-TV.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said the airline will conduct a full safety inspection of its remaining Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to ensure they fly safely. He said planes would remain grounded for several days.
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what happened tonight and will share updates as more information becomes available,” Minicucci said. statement. “The NTSB is investigating this incident and we fully support their investigation.”
“My deepest sympathies go out to everyone on this plane. I am truly sorry for what you experienced. I am very grateful to the pilots and flight attendants for their response,” he continued. . “We have a team in place supporting passengers on the ground in Portland and are working to support our guests as they travel over the next few days.”
The incident led to a number of Alaska Airlines flight cancellations on Saturday.
The grounding continues a grim record for Boeing's 737 Max aircraft. Those airliners have been grounded for nearly two years after 737 Max 8 planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing nearly 350 people.
Boeing last week sent a letter to its airline customers asking them to inspect bolts on their 737 Max jets for loose bolts after the bolts were discovered on production models.
The company on Wednesday asked the Federal Aviation Administration to grant a safety exemption for its new 737 Max 7 models, citing concerns about engine housing overheating, and promised a future solution.
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