Travelers passing through Phoenix remain optimistic following Alaska Airlines mishap
PHOENIX - The airline industry is still shaken over two big mishaps last week: A plane in Japan that burst into flames and an Alaska Airlines flight that lost part of the plane midair.
"Alaska 1282, did you declare an emergency, or did you need to return to …," dispatch asked the Jan. 5 flight crew.
They responded, "Yes, we are emergency, we are depressurized, we do need to return back to you, we have 177 passengers."
The flight crew of the Alaska Airlines flight to Ontario, California from Portland Oregon was forced to make an emergency landing.
A fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 seven minutes after takeoff from Portland. The rapid loss of cabin pressure pulled the clothes off a child and caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling, but miraculously none of the 171 passengers and six members were injured. Pilots made a safe emergency landing.
A gaping hole exposed the night sky while the plane traveled 16,000 feet in the air.
"The structural integrity of the aircraft, that’s to say the fuselage. I think they are going to be zeroing out on the pressurization system," Reed Yadon, an aviation expert and pilot, said. "This is very much out of the norm. Way out of the norm."
Yadon says investigators will look at several factors to determine what went wrong.
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Alaska returned 18 of its 65 737 Max 9 aircraft to service on Saturday following inspections, but then re-grounded them hours later after learning more work may be needed.
The Federal Aviation Administration has now grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for inspection.
About 25,000 people are impacted by the 170 flights canceled by the airline as it continues to inspect its aircraft.
Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said, "We’re early on in the investigation, so we can’t make any broad statements about the fleet."
As for Arizona passengers boarding Alaska flights Sunday, they're remaining optimistic.
"I mean, the safety measures they have are so incredible. I mean, c'mon."
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Passengers recalled the terrifying moments when an Alaska Airlines plane window and piece of fuselage blew out mid-flight, causing a child's shirt to be ripped off and forcing an emergency landing.
"I prefer the window seat and I think I just have faith that it’s going to be OK, and trust that Alaska knows what they are doing in keeping all of us safe."
Per Sky Harbor’s website, there are a handful of Alaska Airlines flights that are now canceled or rescheduled.
Reminder: always check the status of your flight before arriving at the airport.
Boeing declined a request to make an executive available for comment. The company, based in Arlington, Virginia, issued a statement saying it supported the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections. Boeing said it was providing technical help to the investigators.
Analysts said the extent of the damage to Boeing's brand will depend on what investigators determine caused the blowout.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.