An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 flight 1282 from Portland to California was reported to have turned around 35 minutes into its flight owing to depressurization on Friday afternoon.
Arise News reported that a window and a portion of the fuselage were reportedly lost by the aircraft in midair, requiring an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon.
The 177 passengers and personnel on board landed safely, according to the airline.
It went on to say that it would “temporarily” ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 planes to undertake inspections.
“While this type of occurrence is uncommon, our flight crew was well-trained and prepared to handle it safely,” the airline said.
Boeing acknowledged the event and stated that it was “working to gather more information.”
According to flight monitoring data, it was flying at more than 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) when it began its emergency descent.
Pictures showed the seat closest to the afflicted area, a vacant window seat, leaning forward without its cushion.
It was also discovered that the afflicted area was in the plane’s back third, behind the wing and engines.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on X that it was investigating the incident.
Following a succession of safety issues and inquiries, the Boeing 737 Max has been dubbed “the most scrutinized transport aircraft in history.”
The Max was suspended for a year and a half in March 2019 after two of the type crashed in similar circumstances, killing everybody on board.
To be able to fly again, each Max jet received considerable modifications, however the changes were not visible from the outside and passengers would detect no difference.
Recently, it was announced that Boeing would accelerate 737 Max deliveries after resolving a supply issue that needed extensive inspections of new planes and inventory.
The Federal Aviation Administration advised airlines in December to evaluate Max models for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control systems.
