Summary
- An Alaska Airlines flight experienced a sudden lack of the mid-aft door, window, and seat during takeoff, causing objects to be sucked out of the plane at around 16,000 feet, including an intact iPhone.
- A Portland resident found the iPhone on the side of the road and shared his discovery on social media, which has since gone viral with over 15 million views.
- The missing door plug and other parts of the plane that were sucked out will play a critical role within the investigation of what caused the incident. The FAA has grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft within the US, and other airlines have also ordered inspections.
On Friday night, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 returned to Portland International Airport (PDX) after losing the mid-aft door, window, and an unoccupied seat during takeoff. While everyone onboard the flight remained protected, multiple objects were sucked out of the airplane and fell around 16,000 feet, including what appears to be a working and intact iPhone.
What happened
On Sunday, Portland, Oregon, resident Sean Bates said he was walking when he found the iPhone on the side of Portland’s Barnes Road. Bates took to social media platform X, formally Twitter, to share his discovery, writing, “Found an iPhone on the side of the road… Still in airplane mode with half a battery and open to a baggage claim for #AlaskaAirlines ASA128.” That post has since gone viral, amassing over 15 million views in 24 hours. He added that he immediately called the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to tell them of his findings, and an NTSB agent named Zoe told him that was the second phone to be found from the flight.
In a video posted to X today, Bates shares how he stumbled across the iPhone. Bates said that when he got here across the iPhone, he was “skeptical” as he thought it could have been thrown from a automobile. Nevertheless, when he opened the phone, which didn’t have a password, he saw the phone was on airplane mode with an email for a baggage receipt for Alaska flight 1282 to Ontario, California, addressed to passenger Cuong Tran.
Sunday’s discovery by Bates comes as a Portland school teacher named Bob found the door plug covering the missing exit door of their backyard. At a news conference on Sunday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homenday stated that the missing door plug will play a critical role in investigating what caused the door plug to be blown out. Along with the door plug, other parts of the plane were sucked out, including a seat back, headrests, and a tray table.
Alaska Airlines flight 1282
On Friday, January sixth, Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 departed Portland International Airport (PDX) from Runway 28L at 17:07 local time with 171 passengers and 6 crew onboard. The aircraft bearing the registration N704AL quickly gained altitude, reaching 5,000 feet two minutes into the flight. Nevertheless, the left door plug blew out of the plane six minutes into the flight at an altitude of 16,000 feet and a speed of 440 mph. The pilots then requested an emergency landing, and the aircraft began descending rapidly while concurrently decreasing speed. The plane touched down safely on runway 28L at 17:27 local time, with only minor injuries reported.
Breaking: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 Diverts Due To Sudden Loss Of Emergency Exit Door
The sudden lack of the deactivated exit door led to rapid decompression and compelled a diversion.
Following the shocking incident on flight AS1282 that occurred Friday night, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft across the USA on Saturday. Probably the most outstanding operators of the aircraft type were United States-based United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The 2 US carriers mix to operate 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
Photo: NTSB
Along with the FAA, India’s Aviation Authority- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)-ordered the immediate checks of all its 737 MAX. Copa Airlines, Aeromexico, and Turkish Airlines, which also operate the Boeing 737 MAX 9, have all grounded the aircraft for further inspection.