Airplane Incident Causes Fright for Passengers

(USNewsBreak.com) – Airline safety has come a long way over several decades as past accidents have resulted in new regulations. Flying today is much safer than it was in prior decades, but safety issues and accidents can still arise sometimes. A recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight highlighted that point.

On a recent flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, passengers had the scare of a lifetime. At about 16,000 feet in the air, a door plug blew off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. The pressure ripped a teenager’s shirt off, and several other passengers reported having their earbuds ripped out. Fortunately, none of the passengers experienced any major injuries due to the incident, and the plane landed safely.

‘I don’t want to die’: Alaska Airlines passenger sent ‘final text’ to parents when door hub blew out at 16,000 feet https://t.co/LyqmxWt0uV pic.twitter.com/JIBaVLfvPF

— New York Post (@nypost) January 8, 2024

Passengers aboard Flight 1282 reported hearing a bang or a boom, and there was a bit of panic as a few stood up and yelled about a hole in row 26. At the time, nobody was sitting in the row’s window or middle seat, though parts of the seats were missing.

When the door blew off, Nicholas Hoch, 33, was aboard the flight, listening to a podcast. He immediately began texting his girlfriend and mother, telling them there was something wrong with the plane and that he loved them. Another passenger, Emma Vu, was asleep when the incident happened. She also texted her family, saying, “Please pray for me. Please, i (sic) don’t want to die.” She later told CNN the situation was a “very surreal” event and that “two ladies who sat to either side of” her were of great comfort.

Bob Sauer, a physics teacher, found the fallen door plug in his backyard. He promptly called the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to turn the part over. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes while investigating the accident.