The fuselage part of an airplane Alaska Airlines that detached in mid-flight shortly after takeoff from the Portland airport on Friday night was found in the backyard of a private home in that city in the northwest of the United States, official sources reported.
The owner of the home notified the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which had asked the public for help in finding a vital piece for the investigation of what happened, according to the president of the public body, Jennifer Homendy, in a press conference on Sunday night
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 bound for Ontario (Canada) It returned to Portland about 30 minutes after takeoff without part of the fuselage but with its 171 passengers and six crew members unharmed.
According to witnesses cited by different American media, when the plane took altitude, a noise like an explosion was heard and a part of the fuselage flew away, which caused the cabin to depressurize and The oxygen masks will automatically lower.
The first image of the interior of the plane published by federal investigatorss showed a hole the size of a refrigerator in the fuselage and a headrest torn from a nearby seat and oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.
It happened on Friday
What happened last Friday to the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 led to the US federal aviation agency (FAA) ordered on Saturday the “temporary immobilization” of some of the aircraft of that model operated by US airlines or in US territory, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights over the weekend.
Through a statement, the FAA reported that shortly An Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) will be issuedIt will require operators to inspect aircraft before conducting new flights.
“The required inspections will last between four and eight hours per aircraft,” said the federal agency, which estimated 171 affected aircraft worldwide.
Fortunately The seats in the area where part of the fuselage detached were not occupiedNTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said Saturday after inspecting the plane in Portland.
Related news
According to CNN, this Tuesday, Boeing plans to hold an all-employee meeting at its 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, “focused on safety” and the company’s response to the crash, Boeing’s president and CEO said. , David Calhoun, in an email to the entire company.
“It is essential for us work transparently with our customers and regulators to understand and address the causes of the event and ensure it does not happen again,” Calhoun said in the email.