Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

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Alaska Airlines Flight 1282
The aircraft after the accident with the door plug missing and the hole in the fuselage covered in plastic sheeting
Accident
DateJanuary 5, 2024 (2024-01-05)
SummaryUncontrolled decompression, under investigation
SiteIn-air; near Portland, Oregon, United States
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737 MAX 9
OperatorAlaska Airlines
IATA flight No.AS1282
ICAO flight No.ASA1282
Call signALASKA 1282
RegistrationN704AL
Flight originPortland International Airport, Portland, Oregon
DestinationOntario International Airport, Ontario, California
Occupants177
Passengers171
Crew6
Fatalities0
Injuries3 (minor)
Survivors177 (All)

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was a scheduled U.S. domestic flight operated by Alaska Airlines from Portland International Airport in Oregon to Ontario International Airport in California. Shortly after takeoff on January 5, 2024, a door plug (a panel installed to replace an optional emergency exit door) on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft blew out causing an uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft.[1] The aircraft was immediately diverted back to Portland for an emergency landing. All 171 passengers and 6 crew members survived the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of this accident.

Aircraft[edit]

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 MAX 9 with manufacturer's serial number 67501, registered as N704AL. It was around two months old at the time of the accident: it first flew on October 15, 2023, was delivered to Alaska Airlines on October 31, and entered service on November 11.[2][3][4] According to flight trackers, the aircraft had logged 145 flights at time of accident.[5]

The MAX 9 has optional rear mid-cabin emergency exit doors, on each side of the aircraft behind the wings. These are required on aircraft with dense seating configurations to meet evacuation regulations. On less densely configured aircraft, the exits are not required and door plugs are installed in their place, as was the case on this aircraft.[1]

The fuselage and door plug are manufactured and initially assembled by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, then shipped by train for final assembly at the Boeing Renton Factory.[6]

Accident[edit]

Flight path illustration of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

Flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport at 5:07 p.m. PST.[5] Six crew members and 171 passengers were aboard the flight.[7] Approximately six minutes after takeoff, a factory-installed door plug filling the port-side opening for the optional emergency exit door separated from the airframe, causing an uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft.[1][8] According to initial reports, nobody was in seat 26A, which was immediately next to the hole.[9] Three passengers experienced minor injuries that required medical attention and some passengers' items were lost when they flew out of the opening.[7][10][11]

According to some passengers, a child seated in row 26 had his shirt ripped off and blown out of the aircraft while his mother was holding on to him to prevent him being blown out during decompression.[12][4] The aircraft's oxygen masks deployed following the decompression event.[5] A passenger seated in exit row seat 16F stated that he heard a loud boom, followed by a gust of wind, which was repeated by another passenger who stated she heard a loud bang, followed by the oxygen masks deploying and a large loud gust of wind.[13] One passenger claimed that others closer to the opening in the plane were able to move to other seats further away.[14]

The decompression event caused the cockpit door to fly open and hit the lavatory door, which initially became stuck.[15] After several attempts, a flight attendant was able to close the cockpit door.[15]. The cockpit door is designed to open in the event of an uncontrolled decompression, but the crew were not aware of this. [16] The laminated Quick Reference Checklist stowed below the cockpit windows was blown into the cabin. [15] The first officer's headset was pulled off and the captain's was dislodged.[15]

Interior non-structural damage was observed at rows 1 through 4, 11 and 12, 25 through 27, and 31 through 33, including damage to seat 25A which lost its headrest and was twisted and seat 26A which lost its headrest, seatback cushion as well as the tray table on the rear side (which would be used by the passenger behind).[15]

According to flight trackers, when the accident happened the aircraft had climbed to about 16,000 feet (4,900 m).[17] The pilots made an emergency descent to 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and returned to Portland,[18][1] where they successfully made an emergency landing at 5:27 p.m.[5] Firefighters boarded the aircraft to check for injuries among the passengers.[19]

Flight Data Recorder Timeline[edit]

At a media briefing on January 8, the NTSB provided the following timeline of key events obtained from the flight data recorder.[16]

Times in PST

  • 17:06:47 - Aircraft departed PDX Runway 28L.
  • 17:12:33 - While passing 14,830 feet, recorded cabin pressure dropped from 14.09 to 11.64 psi; cabin altitude >10,000 feet warning activated.
  • 17:12:34 - Master caution activated, cabin pressure dropped to 9.08 psi.
  • 17:12:52 - Master caution deactivated.
  • 17:13:41 - Aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 16,320 feet.
  • 17:13:56 - Selected altitude changed from 23,000 to 10,000 feet.
  • 17:14:35 - Master caution activated for 3 seconds.
  • 17:16:56 - While passing 10,120 feet, aircraft began a left turn from 121 degrees.
  • 17:17:00 - Aircraft descended below 10,000 feet.
  • 17:18:05 - While passing 9,050 feet, cabin altitude >10,000 feet warning deactivated. Cabin pressure was 10.48 psi.
  • 17:26:46 - Aircraft landed back on Runway 28L at PDX.

Aftermath[edit]

737 MAX 9 comparison
Door installed
Opening plugged
A comparison of a 737 MAX 9 with and without the rear mid-cabin exit door
FAA Original Grounding Statement on January 6th, 2024 at 11:54AM.

Alaska Airlines initially grounded their MAX 9 fleet of 65,[1] although it returned 18 to service the next day after determining that those MAX 9s already had their door plugs inspected "as part of a recent heavy maintenance visit".[7] Later on January 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) that required all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft with a mid-cabin door plug installed to be grounded pending a required inspection and corrective actions where required.[20][8] Alaska Airlines subsequently removed the 18 aircraft from service again.[7] Several airlines that operate the MAX 9 also grounded their fleet for inspection, including United Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Copa Airlines.[21] Alaska Airlines grounded 65 planes, and said on January 7 that it had cancelled 163 flights, or 21%, affecting roughly 23,000 passengers. The airline said travel disruptions from the grounding of some of its planes is expected to last until at least mid-week.[7][22] United Airlines has grounded 79 planes, and said on January 7 it had cancelled 230 flights, or 8%, of its scheduled departures.[23]

On January 7, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adopted the FAA's EAD, though it stated that no airline in its jurisdiction currently operated any MAX 9 aircraft with the door plug configuration.[24]

NTSB investigators with the door plug recovered from the backyard of a home in Cedar Hills, Oregon.

The cabin door plug was discovered in the backyard of a home in the Cedar Hills area near Oregon Route 217. It was reported to the NTSB on January 7.[25] Two mobile phones from the flight were also recovered by the NTSB, including an iPhone still powered on and in airplane mode.[26]

Investigation[edit]

Interior view from after the accident showing the missing door plug and damaged seats.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are conducting an investigation, with support from Boeing.[27][28][29]

The aircraft involved in the accident had its "Pressurization Auto Fail" indicator illuminate on three previous occasions - on December 7, January 3 (in flight), and January 4 (after landing). On each occasion in flight, crews switched to an alternate system and flights proceeded normally.[15] Alaska Airlines had restricted the aircraft from operating extended overwater flights (under ETOPS rules) until a detailed maintenance inspection could occur.[15] It is not yet known if this has a relationship to the accident but will form part of the NTSB investigation.[15]

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) on the aircraft had a two-hour capacity. However, the CVR circuit breaker was not pulled after the accident to preserve the recording, meaning by the time it was accessed, the recording had been completely overwritten.[15] NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy subsequently called for extending capacity to 25 hours, rather than the currently-mandated 2 hours, on all new and existing aircraft. If implemented, the new rule will align with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) current regulations.[30]

January 8, 2024: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy briefs the media in Portland, Oregon, on the NTSB investigation involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

On January 8, United Airlines stated they found loose bolts during inspections on an undisclosed number of grounded aircraft.[31] On the same day, Alaska Airlines also announced their inspections found "loose hardware" on some aircraft.[31]

The NTSB's initial assessment has found that the stop pads and fittings of the door plug and frame were intact and the door has translated upwards to clear the pads to enable its ejection from the aircraft.[16] The upper guide fittings on the door plug were found to be fractured.[16] Investigation on the status of retention bolts preventing the door plug from translating upwards is ongoing.[16]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Gates, Dominic (January 5, 2024). "Alaska Airlines grounds MAX 9s after door plug blows out on Portland flight". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "N704AL Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX". Planespotters.net. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  3. ^ McDermott, John (January 5, 2024). "Explosive Decompression Reported on Alaska 737 MAX". AirlineGeeks. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Hradecky, Simon (January 6, 2024). "Accident: Alaska B39M at Portland on Jan 5th 2024, emergency exit and panel separated in flight". The Aviation Herald. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Yoon, John; Mayorquin, Orlando; Kim, Victoria (January 6, 2024) [January 5, 2024]. "F.A.A. Orders Airlines to Ground Some Boeing 737 Max 9 Jets After Midair 'Incident'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Insinna, Valerie; Hepher, Tim; Shepardson, David (January 7, 2024). "Spirit Aero made blowout part but Boeing has key role". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Information about Alaska Airlines Flight 1282". Alaska Airlines. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Shepardson, David; Insinna, Valerie; Hepher, Tim (January 7, 2024). "US FAA orders Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes grounded after blowout". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  9. ^ Isidore, Chris (January 8, 2024). "A terrifying 10 minute flight adds to years of Boeing's quality control problems". CNN. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  10. ^ KGW Staff; McCarty, Alma (January 6, 2024) [January 5, 2024]. "Alaska Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing at Portland airport after panel on side of plane blows out". KGW. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  11. ^ NTSB Newsroom [@NTSB_Newsroom] (January 6, 2024). "Update: NTSB has launched a Go Team to Portland, Oregon to investigate an event with a Boeing 737-9 MAX during a flight from Portland to Ontario, California. No serious injuries were reported" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ McAvoy, Audrey; Koenig, David (January 6, 2024). "Federal officials order grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners after plane suffers a blowout". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  13. ^ Costello, Tom; Burke, Minyvonne; Cohen, Rebecca; Blackman, Jay (January 8, 2024). "A pop, a boom, a big bang: Alaska Airlines passengers describe the moment a piece of the plane fell off". NBC News. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  14. ^ Salahieh, Nouran; Afshar, Paradise; Muntean, Pete; Sutton, Joe (January 7, 2024). "Missing part of Alaska Airlines plane that blew off mid-flight is found, investigators say". CNN. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i NTSB Media Brief - Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Jan 7) livestream. National Transportation Safety Board. January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e NTSB Media Brief - Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 (Jan 8) livestream. National Transportation Safety Board. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Sanderson, Bill (January 6, 2024) [January 5, 2024]. "Alaska Airlines door panel blows out at 16,000 feet, forcing Portland landing; NTSB probes". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  18. ^ Reid, Channing (January 6, 2024). "Breaking: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 Diverts Due To Sudden Loss Of Emergency Exit Door". Simple Flying. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  19. ^ Spencer, Terry; Rush, Claire (January 9, 2024). "Twisted metal, rushing wind: A narrowly avoided disaster as jet's wall rips away at 3 miles high". Associated Press. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  20. ^ ""Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) #: 2024-02-51"" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. January 6, 2024. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "No passengers seated near site of Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 panel blowout avoided potentially 'tragic' incident says Safety Board". ABC News (Australia). Reuters. January 8, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  22. ^ "Boeing 737 Max 9: Jets to stay grounded as inspections continue". BBC News. January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  23. ^ "Boeing 737 Max 9: Jets to stay grounded as inspections continue". BBC News. January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  24. ^ "EASA adopts FAA Emergency AD on Boeing 737-9 – no EU operators seen affected". European Union Aviation Safety Agency. January 7, 2024. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  25. ^ Olson, Karli (January 7, 2024). "Portland area man finds missing door 'plug' torn from Alaska Airlines flight in backyard". KPTV. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Tan, Huileng; Getahun, Hannah. "People found 2 cellphones from the Alaska Airlines flight that lost a door plug, NTSB says". Business Insider. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  27. ^ NTSB Newsroom [@NTSB_Newsroom] (January 6, 2024). "NTSB is investigating an event involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. We will post any updates regarding the investigation when they are available" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ The FAA [@FAANews] (January 6, 2024). "Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 returned safely to @flyPDX around 5 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 5, after the crew reported a pressurization issue. The aircraft was traveling to @flyONT in California. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ "Boeing Statement on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282". Boeing. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  30. ^ Villamizar, Helwing (January 8, 2024). "No Data on Flight 1282 Cockpit Voice Recorder, NTSB Calls out FAA". Airways. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Sweeney, Sam; Hutchinson, Bill (January 9, 2024). "United finds loose bolts on 737 Max 9 planes in wake of Alaska Airlines door plug incident". ABC News. Retrieved January 9, 2024.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
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