Wanted: 1 airplane door.
If found, contact the National Transportation Safety Board immediately.
Federal authorities ask for the public's help in locating the “plug door” that blew an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight Friday night, leaving a huge hole in the fuselage and putting about 200 passengers at risk. That was the message authorities issued Sunday.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said, referring to the area about 11 miles west of Portland, Oregon, that “radar data indicates the door was located near Burns Road near Interstate 217 in the Cedar Hills area. I think there is,” he said.
“If you see it, please contact your local law enforcement agency,” she added. According to CNN.
The emergency doors of a California-bound passenger plane detached shortly after departing from Portland International Airport, creating a nightmare for the 171 passengers and six crew members.
Terrified travelers watched in silence as city lights flickered far below, through the gaping hole where the door once stood.
The ordeal, which continued as the plane roared at about 16,000 feet, quickly depressurized the cabin and forced the pilots to turn around and return to Portland for an emergency landing. According to NBC News.
The 737 had left the city 10 minutes earlier and was heading south to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County.
But fortunately, no one was sitting next to the door that was blown off, Homendy said.
The plane landed safely at Portland International Airport, where first responders treated the passenger for minor injuries.
“We're lucky that no one was killed and there were no further serious injuries,” she told CNN after inspecting the aircraft as part of the commission's investigation into the dangerous accident.
NTSB investigators also plan to interview the flight crew.
Homendy said if they can find the missing door, they will be able to figure out why it failed.
“If it's in someone's backyard, I'd love to see it,” she said.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that no one had yet called to report the door was in the yard.
In addition to scaring passengers, this stunning aerial disaster also forced the FAA to ground some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft (approximately 171 in total worldwide) and force numerous cancellations.
Alaska Airlines itself had canceled 160 flights as of Saturday, affecting about 23,000 travelers, CNN reported.
More cancellations are likely as aviation authorities inspect Boeing's planes.
“We have identified the necessary cancellations for tomorrow and expect the disruption to continue until at least mid-week,” the airline said in a statement to its network.
According to CNN, United Airlines is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to ground 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspection.
According to the report, when the door was torn off with a loud bang, the sudden depressurization caused the headrest and cushions to be torn off the seat, and the oxygen mask to fall from the ceiling.
Homendy told the network that he knew before the flight that there was a problem with the plane's pressurization.
Investigators will be looking at the airline's mechanics to find out what they did to fix the problem, she added.
Boeing said it supports the FAA's order to ground the plane.
“Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this incident has had on our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a statement to the network.
Alaska Airlines did not respond to the network's request for comment.
