Alaska Airlines grounds fleet of Boeing 737-9 after in-flight incident (video)
Alaska Airlines grounded its entire fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft following a mid-air incident where part of one plane fell off in-flight, causing an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. The incident, which occurred shortly after take-off, resulted in severe cabin pressure changes due to a hole but did not result in any serious injuries.
The plane was at an altitude of 16,000 feet at the time and was able to return safely to Portland International Airport. Alaska Airlines reported that the plane landed safely, carrying 174 passengers and six crew members, reported Sanook.
Following the incident with Flight 1282, the airline’s CEO, Ben Minicucci, announced that Alaska Airlines has suspended the use of all 65 Boeing 737-9 planes. Boeing has acknowledged the incident, is working to gather more information and has committed to cooperating with any investigations.
The Boeing 737-9, also known as the Max, is the latest version of the Boeing 737 and has been frequently used for domestic flights in the US since its introduction in May 2017.
In related news, a Thai Airways flight TG683 collided with an EVA Air flight BR189 on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, causing no reported injuries. Approximately 260 people were on the Thai airline, while approximately 200 were aboard the EVA Air aircraft.
Thai Airways explained that the incident occurred when the plane was moving toward taxiway L15. The winglet on the right side of the plane collided with the tail of the EVA Air aircraft parked at taxiway L14. Extensive damage was caused to the upper section of the wing, rendering the plane unable to continue flying. All passengers and crew were unharmed.
@vee_wins bffr @Alaska Airlines #alaskaair #planemalfunction ♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger
Haneda Airport closed its 3,000-metre Runway A following the incident. The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reported that around 260 people were on the Thai Airways plane, while around 200 were on the EVA Air aircraft. Read more about Thai Airways plane colliding with EVA Air aircraft.
