Only minor injuries were sustained when a section of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during flight Friday as the aircraft was enroute from Portland International Airport (KPDX) to Ontario, California (KONT). The aircraft depressurized and the flight crew returned to KPDX. In response, Alaska Airlines has grounded its 737 Max 9 fleet, consisting of 65 jets, while the investigation begins.
A photograph sent to Portland television station KPTV by a passenger shows a gap in the fuselage, where a window would normally be, and the oxygen masks deployed. A photograph taken from the exterior of the aircraft when it was on the ground shows it was a rear door that was blown out. According to industry officials, it is a panel called a “plug door,” and it can be used as a door or as a window for an extra row of seats.
