Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

Today we look back and remember Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Portland International Airport in Oregon (PDX/KPDX) to Ontario International Airport in California ONT/KONT). Shortly after takeoff on the 5th of January 2024, a door plug on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out, leading to an uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft.

ALASKA AIRLINES BOEING 737-900 N282AK (MSN 62473)

The aircraft immediately returned to Portland for an emergency landing. 

All 171 passengers and 6 crew members survived the accident, with three receiving minor injuries.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s final report found that the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug blowout was caused by a widespread breakdown in Boeing’s manufacturing process, along with poor oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. The incident happened because four critical bolts, removed at the factory, were never put back in place.

The flight took off from Portland International Airport at 5:07 p.m. PST. approximately six and a half minutes after takeoff, the factory-installed door plug filling the port-side opening for the optional emergency exit door separated from the airframe, ripping a hole on the side of the aircraft causing an uncontrolled decompression. The aircraft's oxygen masks deployed during the accident. No one was in seat 26A, which was immediately next to the hole. Three passengers experienced minor injuries that required medical attention, and some passengers' items were lost when the items were blown out of the opening.


Aircraft Information: 

Airline: Alaska Airlines
Code: AS/ASA
Flight Number: 1282
Aircraft: Boeing 737 Max 9
Registration: N704AL
Serial Number: 67501 / 8789
Engines: 2 x CFMI LEAP-1B
First Flew: 15/10/2023
Age: 2 Months (at time of incident)