On January 5th, an Alaska Airlines flight 1282 (plane model: Boeing 737 Max 9) flying from Portland, Oregon to California had its trip cut short because a door plug detached from the plane mid-flight.
A loud gunshot-like sound signaled that the door had flown out and, as per safety protocols, oxygen masks were dropped to the passengers. The door plug (not a functional door) was being used to fill a doorway, and kept together with 12 stop fittings and 4 bolts. Onboard were 171 passengers and 6 crew members, among them were 4 unaccompanied minors and 3 babies.
Communication was difficult for the flight attendants between them and the flight deck because of all the noise.
The plug was located at Row 26 (on the left side of the place), and the seats closest to the plug (Seat 26a and b) were empty.
The headrests, tray table on seat 26a, and other “Additional damage” was reported (unclear what exact damage) in rows 1-4 11 and 12, 25-27, and 31-33.
The plane was restricted from flying over water because on three previous flights (dated: 12/03,04,07) the plane’s auto-pressurization fail light came on, indicating that something was wrong with the aircraft.
As of now, it can’t be determined for sure if the fail-light has any link to the door plug flying out.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will examine both the door and the place components involved under a microscope to identify any further potential causes for the incident.
The door is manufactured by Spirit Aerosystems. Not to be confused with the black sheep airline SPIRIT, which many consumers choose for the low ticket price appeal, Spirit Aerosystems is a Boeing supplier in Wichita, Kansas.
Spirit, in a statement released shortly after news of the faulty door plug hit said,
“At Spirit AeroSystems, our primary focus is the quality and product integrity of the aircraft structures we deliver…Spirit is following the protocols set by the regulatory authorities that guide communication in these types of circumstances and we will share further information when appropriate.”
On the flip side, there were no reported injuries– no persons or iPhones were damaged in the process. Remarkably, an iPhone from the flight flew out, fell 16,000 feet, and, to Tim Cook’s delight, is still intact and functioning.
