Man Finds Missing Piece of Alaskan Airlines Plane in His Backyard
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, a piece of a Boeing 737 Alaska Airlines plane that detached mid-flight has been found in a man’s backyard in Portland.
Following its takeoff from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, Canada, last Friday, a refrigerator-sized door plug blew off from the plane, prompting an emergency landing.
At the time of the ordeal, the plane’s cabin depressurized, oxygen masks descended, and frightened passengers screamed and texted their goodbyes to loved ones. Thankfully, the plane landed safely with no serious injuries.
Following the event, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded a specific Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft following careful inspection. In recent years, Boeing planes were grounded in 2019 in a dozen countries after two planes crashed.
As reported by CNN, the airline canceled 160 flights — affecting roughly 23,000 travelers — in an announcement Saturday afternoon. Then, on Sunday, the airline canceled 170 flights and another 60 flights for Monday.
“Cancellations will continue through the first half of the week, and we encourage guests with travel plans to continue to check their email and alaskaair.com for updates,” the airline said.
Additionally, Friday flights were seated directly next to the section of the plane that blew off, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Saturday.
“Fortunately, nobody died, and there were no more serious injuries,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN after touring the aircraft. She added that the flight crew was going to be interviewed by investigators.
Additionally, United Airlines canceled 270 this weekend and suspended services on all its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. It noted that it was “working with the FAA to clarify the inspection process and the requirements for returning all MAX 9 aircraft to service.”
In a company-wide email, Boening President and CEO David Calhoun said the airline is expected to hold an all-employee meeting at its 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, “focused on safety” and the company’s response to the accident.
“It is critical for us to work transparently with our customers and regulators to understand and address the causes of the event and to ensure they don’t happen again,” Calhoun said in the email.
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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