Alaska Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Oregon after window blows out of plane

An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Oregon on Saturday after a window and chunk of its fuselage blew out in mid-air, media reports said.

A passenger sent KATU-TV a photo showing a gaping hole in the side of the aeroplane next to passenger seats. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.

The airline said it was investigating what happened.

“Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, experienced an incident this evening soon after departure,” the company said in an emailed statement. “The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 174 guests and 6 crew members.”

The company said it would share more information when it became available.

NEW IMAGE from on board Alaska Airlines 1282 after ***part of the fuselage*** blew out mid-flight. Successful emergency return to Portland after 20 minutes in the air. 10-week-old (!) Boeing 737 Max 9. NTSB investigating. pic.twitter.com/qjX8fQ1br1

— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) January 6, 2024

The flight left Portland at 4:52 pm but returned just before 5:30 pm (local time).

The plane rose as high as 4876 metres during the flight and then began descending, according to data on the flight tracking website FlightAware.

KPTV-TV reported photos sent in by a passenger showed a large section of the aeroplane’s fuselage was missing.

The FAA did not immediately respond to an email request for information.

The Boeing 737-9 MAX rolled off the assembly line and received its certification just two months ago, according to online FAA records.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was investigating an event on the flight and would post updates when they are available.