U.S. airlines have been temporarily ordered to ground some Boeing planes after an Alaskan Airlines flight was forced into an emergency landing when a chunk of the airplane’s body was blown out.
While there were thankfully no serious injuries after a sizable portion of the Boeing 737 Max 9 flew out, there was a child seated nearby the blown out piece, according to KPTV-TV.
The little boy’s mother held him down as the airliner bound for California made its emergency landing at the Portland International Airport on Friday night.
An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing last night after a panel blew out shortly after takeoff. Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) January 6, 2024
The airline has temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. pic.twitter.com/tgnGe8thrI
The child’s shirt was sucked out of the airplane due to the sudden depressurization and his skin was reportedly reddened and irritated by the violent wind filling the plane’s cabin.
One passenger recounted to The New York Times what she witnessed during the ordeal.
“I open up my eyes and the first thing I see is the oxygen mask right in front of me,” she said. “And I look to the left and the wall on the side of the plane is gone. The first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to die.'”
Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
There were reportedly more than 170 passengers on the plane, along with six crew members.
After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines in the U.S. to temporarily stop using some Boeing 737-9 airplanes, The Times reported.
“Safety is our top priority and we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” said Jessica Kowal, a spokeswoman for Boeing. “We agree with and fully support the F.A.A.’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.”
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said such aircrafts “will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.”
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available,” he said. “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight — I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
The incident remains under investigation by Alaska Airlines.
Praise God no one was seriously injured during the emergency situation.
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