A WINDOW was ripped from a plane in mid-air, ripping a child’s shirt and sucking the passengers’ phones out of their hands.
The Alaska Airlines flight, which left Portland, Oregon for Ontario, California at 4:40 p.m. Friday, descended into chaos less than an hour into its journey.
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Part of the plane was ripped off, forcing an Alaska Airlines flight to make an emergency landingCredit: KPTV
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A passenger on the plane uploaded shocking clips showing the void to TikTokCredit: TIKTOK/@strawberr.vy
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Passengers’ phones were sucked out of the plane, and a child’s shirt was torn during the massacreCredit: KPTV
Stunned passengers described seeing a large section of the plane blown up in the air with dramatic images of the aftermath showing a gaping hole in the side.
One passenger told Fox News affiliate KPTV that the mother had to hold her child in the seat as people lost their phones that were vacuumed from the plane.
Another child who was closest to the damage lost his shirt due to the violent drop in pressure, the outlet was told.
Shocking footage shared on TikTok captured the chaos, showing passengers using emergency oxygen masks while the plane was still in the air.
“Part of the plane took off not even 20 minutes after our flight,” wrote the person who posted the video.
Part of the missing plane can be seen in the video with the night sky visible only a few meters from where people are sitting.
The TikToker said everyone is fine despite the scary incident.
“Girls’ trip turns into an emergency landing…” read the headline.
The airline has since temporarily grounded its fleet of 65 Boeing MAX-9 aircraft while it conducts an investigation.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said: “Following tonight’s events on Flight 1282, we have decided to take precautionary steps and temporarily ground our fleet of 65 Boeing MAX-9 aircraft.
“Each aircraft will be returned to service only after full maintenance and safety inspections have been completed.
“We expect all inspections to be completed in the next few days.
“…I’m sorry for what you experienced. I am grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.
“We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting travelers and working to support guests traveling over the next few days.”
The Boeing 737 MAX is the most widely used commercial airliner in the world with more than 1,160 in active service.
Back in 2019, crisis-hit jets sparked safety fears after two fatal plane crashes and ended up being grounded in EU airspace.
The following year, debris was also found in the plane’s fuel tanks that were being held in storage, and the head of Boeing’s 737 program told employees that the discovery was “absolutely unacceptable.”
The planes were finally cleared to take off in late 2020 after upgrades were made to their jets.
In a Boeing statement regarding the chaos with Alaska Airlines, the company said: “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
“We are working on gathering more information and are in contact with our airline client.
“Boeing’s technical team stands ready to support the investigation.”
China’s aviation regulator is also holding an emergency meeting to review its response to the recent air disaster and could ground its fleet, Bloomberg reports.
AIRPLANE HORROR
The flight with 174 passengers and six crew members left Portland at 4:52 p.m. but returned shortly before 5:30 p.m.
It climbed to 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) before it began its descent, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
An audio recording of the moment the plane’s staff spoke to air traffic control was also revealed.
“Yes, we’re an emergency,” the staff member said.
“We’re getting pressure, we have to go back to… we have 177 passengers.”
Alaska Airlines quickly confirmed the accident in a statement, insisting that the crew was “trained and prepared” to deal with the situation and that the incident was extremely rare.
A terrified passenger has revealed the message she sent to her family on the plane after the window exploded.
Emma Vu, who safely escaped the incident along with other passengers, shared her experience online.
“I was so scared at that moment,” she said on TikTok.
A text message sent to her family read: “The masks are off; I’m so scared now; please pray for me; please I don’t want to die.”
The young woman was sleeping when she “felt the whole plane falling” and woke up in a panic.
Emma said: “I’m so grateful to the ladies sitting next to me… they were so sweet to calm me down and the flight attendants gave oxygen bottles to those who needed it more.”
“But I was freaking out because my bag wouldn’t inflate — and that’s literally what they tell you in the safety thing, like don’t worry you’ve still got airflow…when you’re in fight or flight I don’t think about it.”
“It was so scary, nobody knew what was going on, the pilot came and told everyone to put on their masks before helping others – literally word for word what they told you in safety training.”
“One small child’s shirt flew off, and their phone flew out the window,” she added.
“It was so surreal.”
Elizabeth, 20, was also on the flight.
She told OregonLive that “it sounded like a shot in your ears like usual on an airplane, but 10 times louder. I couldn’t believe it was real.”
“We were all calm,” she added, “but I felt like I was going to cry, because who knows, these could be my last moments.”
Kyle Rinker, 29, said the plane went “deathly quiet” and “no one was making any noise”.
The airline said in a statement: “The aircraft landed safely at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members on board.”
“The safety of our guests and employees is always our top priority, so although this type of event is rare, our flight crew were trained and prepared to handle the situation safely.”
According to reports, no one on the flight was injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the incident on the flight and will share updates as they become available.
Horrified TikTok users were quick to express their shock, demanding more answers.
“Can we find out where in REAL [did] piece of the plane landed? [sic] On a car, a house, someone walking down the street?” wrote one person.
“And that’s just another reason to never take off your seatbelt while flying,” said another.
“I’m glad everyone’s okay!”
The Sun has contacted Boeing for further comment.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority told The Sun: “We are aware of this incident and are monitoring the situation very carefully.
“We maintain regular contact with Boeing and the FAA.”
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The plane landed safely at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members Credit: TIKTOK/@strawberr.vy
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One passenger showed up holding an oxygen mask, describing how part of the plane ‘flew away’ just minutes into their flightCredit: TIKTOK/@strawberr.vy
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The side of the plane was left with a gaping hole where the window exploded Credit: KPTV
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A statement from Alaska Airlines was released on Twitter apologizing for the carnageCredit: X/AlaskaAir
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