The Boeing 737-9 MAX, number 1282 of Alaska Airlines, carrying 177 passengers, took off from Portland International Airport (Oregon State) to Ontario (California State) in the United States, and returned safely. “after the flight crew reported the pressure problem.”

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane reached an altitude of more than 4.800 meters before turning around and returning to Portland airport 20 minutes later.
Windows and part of the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines plane were blown off. (Photo: NBC News)

Images uploaded to social networks showed a window and a section of the fuselage missing, with oxygen masks also dropped.

A passenger on the flight said the window was blown out not long after the plane took off.

Another witness described sitting closest to the opened window as a child and that all passengers had to hold on tightly to their seats as unsecured items flew out of the plane due to the sudden loss of pressure.

Images shared on image sharing site Imgur also show the emergency exit door in the middle of the rear cabin being ripped off the plane during the flight.

Video from the passenger cabin after part of the plane broke apart in mid-air. (Source: CBS)

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the crew reported a pressure problem and would further investigate the incident.

Anthony Brickhouse, an aviation safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told Reuters: “Any case where the pressure drops that quickly, it’s a big safety issue.”

He added: “This is a very serious situation and it could have been a lot worse.”

Boeing said in a statement that it was looking into the incident and added that a technical team was available to assist with the investigation.

Alaska Airlines said this is a rare occurrence, but the flight crew has been trained and prepared to handle the situation safely. The airline also announced the temporary suspension of all 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft.

According to the FAA registration website, this aircraft was certified airworthy in October 10.

Previously, the Boeing 737 MAX was closely monitored by the FAA.

The passenger airline was suspended for 20 months worldwide after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Hoa Vu(Source: Independent)