Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its fleet of 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, after one of the twinjets, registered N704AL, was forced to make an emergency landing at Oregon’s Portland International Airport yesterday evening due to a mid-air pressurization incident.
The aircraft was operating Flight 1282 from Portland to Ontario, California with 171 guests and six crew members. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, the 737 MAX 9 returned safely to Portland at roughly 5pm local time “after the crew reported a pressurization issue”.
Images and videos of inside and outside the aircraft suggest that a mid-cabin section of the fuselage — an exit door aft of the wings that is deactivated and plugged for this particular seating configuration — somehow separated from the aircraft whilst in-flight. The aircraft reached “a maximum altitude of 16,325 feet AMSL [above mean sea level]” before diverting safely back to Portland, confirms FlightRadar24.
This photo confirms the rear plug door (an exit door that is deactivated and plugged in this configuration) somehow completely departed the aircraft. Wow. #AS1282 https://t.co/V9tOzP8J3X
— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) January 6, 2024
In a statement announcing the temporary grounding of Alaska Airlines’ 737 MAX 9 fleet last night, company CEO Ben Minicucci said: “At Alaska Airlines, safety is our foundational value and the most important thing we focus on every day. 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.
“Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections. We anticipate all inspections will be completed in the next few days.”
One third of the fleet had been inspected by this morning.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Alaska Airlines’ 65-strong Boeing 737 MAX 9 twinjets are aged “0-5.3 years old”.
There are 215 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in service globally (meaning they have flown in the past 30 days), says Cirium, adding that other major operators of the 737-9 include United Airlines, with 79 in service; and Copa Airlines, with 29 in service.
Both the FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, with the NTSB saying on social media that it has already “launched a Go Team to Portland, Oregon”.
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Featured image of 737 MAX 9 interior credited to Jason Rabinowitz.
