In response to pressurization warnings received in the days leading up to the mid-air incident, Alaska Airlines imposed restrictions on the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane involved, as confirmed by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The aircraft was prohibited from engaging in long-haul flights over water as a precautionary measure. The specific section of the plane involved in the incident has been located in the backyard of a Portland teacher.
During Flight 1282 on Friday evening, an emergency descent was initiated at 16,000 feet (4.8 km). Visuals circulated online depicted a substantial hole in the side of the aircraft, accompanied by dangling oxygen masks.
Passengers vividly described the gap caused by the missing component as “as wide as a refrigerator,” with the decompression force even tearing a young boy’s shirt off. Multiple flights operated by Alaska Airlines have been canceled due to the grounding of its 737-9 Max fleet.
Expressing regret over the incident, Boeing has faced increased scrutiny regarding the Boeing 737 Max, especially following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in 346 fatalities.