More than 170 Boeing passenger planes have been grounded after a refrigerator-sized hole opened up in a plane during flight.
Phones, magazines and even a child’s shirt were pulled from Alaska Airlines service from Oregon to California on Friday, sparking concerns about the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft used by commercial airlines around the world.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded 171 US-operated aircraft while officials conducted safety checks. Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has requested that all aircraft of the same model be inspected before entering UK airspace.
The grounding of hundreds of planes used primarily for intra-American flights risks causing chain delays and travel chaos in the coming days.
Preliminary investigations on Saturday suggested that the faulty section of the aircraft was a disabled emergency door built into the aircraft, but was not in use at the time.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said two seats next to the part of the fuselage that exploded were empty.
“We’re very, very lucky here that this didn’t result in something more tragic,” he added.
Passengers said their phones and other loose belongings were ripped from their hands when there was an “explosive” loss of pressure in the cabin and they were forced to return to Portland for an emergency landing.
A little boy sitting near the hole had his shirt pulled off his back as his mother tried to stop him from being dragged out of the airplane cabin.
A passenger said the boy appeared to have lost his shirt and his skin appeared red and irritated. Flight attendants reportedly helped the mother and son get to the other side of the plane a few minutes later.
In a distress call to air traffic control, a woman is heard saying: “We are in an emergency situation. “Our pressure has decreased, we need to go back.”
Pilots made the emergency landing 35 minutes after takeoff, approximately 15 minutes after part of the plane separated.
Emma Vu, one of the passengers on the plane, later shared her text messages to family members on TikTok.
She wrote: “I’m so scared right now. Please pray for me,” and adds: “Please, I don’t want to die.”
Another passenger, Evan Smith, told reporters: “There was a really loud bang and a whooshing sound towards the left rear of the plane and all the air masks fell off.
“They said you had a child at the time [had] “He pulled his shirt up and dragged him out of the plane, and his mother was holding him to make sure he didn’t go with her.”
Diego Murillo, who was also on the flight, said the space was “as wide as a refrigerator”, while Elizabeth Lee described the deafening noise as a strong wind tearing the cabin apart.
“Part of the plane was missing and the wind was very strong,” the 20-year-old said. “It was truly terrifying.”
He added that strong winds meant that announcements made over the loudspeaker system could not be heard.
No serious injuries were initially reported among the 171 passengers and six crew members. One flight attendant was reported to have minor injuries.
Passengers experiencing this ordeal were given a free flight by the airline with more leg room and free drinks and snacks.
Alaska Airlines has grounded all 65 of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for testing to ensure the accident does not reoccur on its other services.
Ben Minicucci, the company’s CEO, said: “Each aircraft will only be returned to service upon completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.”
“My heart goes out to those on this flight; I’m so sorry for what you’re going through,” he added.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident and was “working to gather more information.”
“The FAA requests that certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft be inspected immediately before returning to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said.
United Airlines also said Saturday it was temporarily suspending service on all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct FAA-required inspections.
Meanwhile, the CAA said there were no Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft registered in the UK and so the impact on British passengers was likely to be “minimal”.
Only one month in service
A spokesman for the company said: “We have written to all non-UK and foreign licensed carriers to seek confirmation that inspections are taking place prior to any operations in British airspace.”
China’s aviation regulator said it was holding an emergency meeting to consider the response to the incident, including the possible grounding of the Boeing Max fleet in the country.
The images show that the hole is in the rear third of the plane, behind the wing where the emergency exit is sometimes located.
Alaska Airlines chose not to configure its aircraft with an emergency door there, and the panel covering the hole in the fuselage appears to have been removed.
According to FAA records, the plane had been in service for only a month after being certified in October.
The incident comes less than three months after an Alaska Airlines flight was attempted to be hijacked by an off-duty pilot who appeared to be suffering from a psychotic episode.
Joseph Emerson, 44, later said he was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms when he tried to cut the plane’s engines and open the emergency exit, believing he was in a dream.
The Max is the newest version of the Boeing 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The aircraft entered service in May 2017.
The model has been described as “the most scrutinized transport aircraft in history” following a series of safety issues and reviews.
ongoing debate
Two Max 8 aircraft crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and grounding all Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft worldwide for almost two years. They returned to service only after Boeing made significant changes.
About 1,300 737 Max planes have been delivered to customers, according to Boeing data, and they are primarily used in the U.S. by Alaska Airlines and United.
The FAA said inspection of the domestic fleet of 737 Max 9 planes will take four to eight hours per plane.
On Saturday afternoon, Alaska Airlines said it had begun clearing part of its fleet for takeoff after finding its security inspections were completely clear.
Other international operators using the aircraft include Copa, Aeromexico, Turkish Airlines and Islandair.
A Boeing spokesperson said: “Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this incident has had on our customers and their passengers.
“We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to request immediate inspection of 737-9 aircraft with the same configuration as the affected aircraft.
“Additionally, a Boeing technical team is supporting the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into last night’s incident. “We will remain in close contact with our regulators and customers.”
Seat belt is the key to survival
The Alaska Airlines incident could have been much worse had passengers not fastened their seat belts or put on oxygen masks immediately, experts say.
The jet had reached 16,000 feet when a piece the size of a “refrigerator” broke off.
Anthony Brickhouse, an air safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said: “This is a very, very serious situation and it could have been much worse.”
He said the incident underscores the importance of passengers keeping their seat belts fastened while seated on the plane, even if the fasten seat belt light is off.
“If someone had been sitting in that seat and not being buckled up, the situation would have been different.”
In previous incidents, passengers have tragically died after being fully or partially pulled out through broken windows. Jennifer Riordan died in 2018 after being partially sucked out of the window of a Southwest Airlines flight that was struck by debris from an exploding engine at 32,000 feet.
Passengers are also encouraged to quickly put on oxygen masks in case their plane is damaged.
Prof Graham Braithwaite, flight safety expert at Cranfield University, said: “This appears to have happened quickly. In this case the aircraft would depressurize very quickly; air would rush out, there could be fog in the cabin and there would certainly be a loud noise.”
“It’s going to be quite dramatic and scary for the passengers.”
The official added that the incident would be more severe if it occurred at cruising altitude.
Depressurization is stronger at higher altitudes; for example, if the aircraft is traveling between 30,000 and 35,000 feet, and on smaller flights this may be more extreme. The greater the damage to the aircraft’s structure, the faster the decompression rate.
Prof Braithwaite said: “This was at 16,000 feet and the cabin would be pressurized between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, so the pressure difference would not be as much as between 30,000 and 35,000 feet.
“On the flight deck, they will want to descend quickly to get the plane down to 10,000 feet where people can breathe normally.”
Oxygen masks are required at high altitudes to prevent hypoxia. Hypoxia is a condition caused by low oxygen levels in arterial blood, leading to confusion and difficulty breathing, and if it persists, it can lead to brain damage.
He said: “When decompression occurs, it is mandatory for everyone on board to wear an oxygen mask. The risk of developing hypoxia occurs quite quickly, which prevents people from thinking rationally.”
When the cabin temperature equalizes the outside air, the temperature also decreases. Additionally, air moves quickly inside the cabin and fog or mist may form due to changes in humidity.
While dust can limit visibility, debris and unsecured items can also fly around the cabin or be thrown from the aircraft.
Airline staff encourage passengers to remain calm and not remove loose personal items from bags or seat pockets. They may also instruct passengers to sit in a supportive position and protect their heads from loose items.