The airline is now grounding all Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft after the window and parts of the fuselage on one plane blew out while in the air on Friday. The plane was on its way from Portland to Ontario, California, but had to return and make an emergency landing. Shocked passengers witnessed one of the windows and parts of the fuselage suddenly disappear around half an hour after take-off. It is not known if anyone was injured on the plane, but it appears that the dramatic incident ended well for those on board. news has been in contact with one of the passengers on board the plane, Elizabeth Le. In a video that she has sent us, you can see the night sky visible through the gap in the fuselage. – I’m still a little shaky, she says. – It was shocking when it happened, but we knew we had to keep calm, says the passenger, who says she is in good spirits after the incident. Another passenger, Evan Smith, has spoken to local broadcaster KATU. – I heard a loud bang. Then there was a hissing sound and all the oxygen masks were immediately released. Everyone put them on, says the passenger. Here you can clearly see the hole in the fuselage. Photo: Reuters Large hole in the fuselage After the incident, there have been several dramatic photos from the trip. Photos taken by a passenger show what appears to be a row of seats by the emergency exit where the window and parts of the wall are missing. The television station KPTV has published photos from another passenger showing a large hole in the fuselage. In a photo taken from the outside, the entire emergency exit hatch appears to be missing. Alaska Airlines now states that all of the company’s 65 Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft will be grounded until further notice following the terrifying incident. – The planes will not be put back into service until they have undergone a full maintenance and safety inspection, says Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. Was grounded in 2019 Boeing says in a statement that it is aware of the incident and that it is “working to gather more information”. The Boeing 737 Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two serious accidents with the aircraft type off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia. The accidents claimed a total of 346 lives. Only after almost two years did US aviation authorities approve the Boeing 737 Max to fly again. According to FAA listings, this aircraft was completed and approved just two months ago. The American National Transportation Safety Board confirms that they have launched an investigation into the incident.
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