On Friday, the Boeing 737 MAX experienced another potential setback with the Alaska Airlines 1282 incident. Thankfully, while frightening, the incident was not a fatal one, nor was anyone seriously injured. That said, things could have ended very differently.
Boy, I feel like we have had A LOT of major aviation-related issues this year, and we’ve barely just begun. First, there was the tragic yet miraculous Japan Airlines flight 516, in which a plane full of people walked away from a fiery wreck, but five others in a smaller plane died. Then, of course, we have the Alaska Airlines 1282 incident that was less dramatic, but was probably just as scary.
Alaska Airlines 1282 Incident
On Friday, January 5, Alaska Airlines 1282 departed Portland International Airport at 4:52 pm PST – 12 minutes behind schedule. The flight then proceeded normally until 5:07 pm, roughly 15 minutes into the flight, when a loud bang was heard and a section of the aircraft’s fuselage blew off. This happened at about 16,000 feet, which is certainly high enough for an explosive decompression event.
Immediately, the oxygen masks deployed and the pilots declared an emergency. 20 minutes later, the flight landed safely back at PDX with all 177 passengers and crew escaping serious injury.
The aircraft involved was one of Alaska Air’s 65 Boeing 737-9 MAXs – N704AL – which first flew on October 15, 2023. Yeah, this is a REALLY young bird. Following the Alaska Airlines 1282 incident, the airline quickly ground all of the 737-9s in its fleet, triggering cancellations across their system. Here in Honolulu, only one Alaska flight was canceled on Saturday, January 6.
For its part, the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on Saturday, grounding 171 MAX 9s around the world. In case you’re wondering, 218 of the type have been delivered thus far.
What Happened?
That’s the golden question, isn’t it? We don’t know what happened, but you can bet the NTSB will get to the bottom of it. However, in my opinion, this was likely a manufacturing defect. I find it hard to believe that this would have been a maintenance issue. After all, the jet was less than three months old. But we’ll have to wait until the investigation is complete to see what happened.
Important Reminder
The fact that no one was seriously injured or worse is kind of a miracle, though it’s also a result of everyone doing what they’re supposed to. You see, everyone on the flight had their seatbelts on and, I’m guessing, service hadn’t started yet. Both of these are likely because the plan had just gotten to its initial cruising altitude – the point at which they usually turn off the fasten-seatbelt signs. But because that probably didn’t happen yet, everyone was safely buckled in. Had that not been the case, there’s a good possibility things would’ve turned out worse, as was the case with Aloha Airlines 243 (AQ243).
Alaska Airlines 1282 Incident, Final Thoughts
I know what some are probably thinking – the Boeing 737 MAX isn’t safe! Some might even be afraid of flying Alaska Airlines now, too. But, guess what? This likely had nothing to do with Alaska Airlines and its operations, while I still think the Boeing 737 MAX is safe. Sure, it’s a scary incident, however, it’s also an unusual one. Whatever happened, we’ll get to the bottom of it soon.
Of course, the alternative – the Airbus A320neo – isn’t without its issues, either. Remember, that airplane is giving Hawaiian massive headaches and has had incidences with other airlines in which it completely lost power in flight.
If anything, the Alaska Airlines 1282 incident is a good reminder to always keep your seatbelt fastened unless you’re going to the lavatory. While issues like this are rare, you just never know. So why not reduce your risk and do something so simple an unobtrusive like keeping your seatbelt on?
By the way, in case you’re wondering, Southwest primarily flies the 737-8 MAX and is unaffected by the current EAD.