Another flight diverts due to flooding in flight

ALASKA DeHAVILLAND DASH 8 Q400 N427QX (MSN 4156)

Another airline with a flooding issue, two in two days.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Honolulu (HNL/PHNL) to Anchorage (ANC/PANC) had to turn around after a malfunctioning bathroom sink flooded the cabin of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet, according to reports.

The flight took off from runway 8R at 10:41 p.m. last Friday. When the water began leaking about 90 minutes into the flight, the captain of Alaska Airlines Flight 828 decided to turn around. The plane landed back on runway 8R one hour and fifty minutes later, at 11.31 p.m.

"There was probably two to four inches of standing water that swooshed out as soon as you opened that front door of the lavatory," passengers said. "I would say an hour and a half into the flight is when we noticed the water and it was significant. The entire floorboards of that airplane were completely wet."

Videos and photos shared on social media shows a flight attendant throwing paper towels on the plane's floor in an attempt to mop up the water. The center aisle can be seen glistening from what appears to be the front of the plane all the way to the back. Eventually, the paper towels are swapped out with what looks like airline blankets.

"We apologise to our guests for the inconvenience caused and commend our crew for their actions to ensure the well-being and comfort of our guests," stated Alaska Airlines. 

Flights from Honolulu to Anchorage typically take around six hours. 

The flight was canceled due to the unavailability of an aircraft for a swap; however, the affected passengers were reaccommodated on alternative flights, the airline reported.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Alaska Airlines

Code: AS/ASA

Aircraft: Boeing 737 Max 9

Registration: N955AK

Serial Number: 63810
Engines: 2 X CFMI LEAP -1B

First Flew: 25th November 2022

Age: 1.4 Years