Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282
The aircraft with plastic sheeting covering the missing door plug
Accident
DateJanuary 5, 2024 (2024-01-05)
SummaryUncontrolled decompression after loss of incorrectly installed door plug
Site
Aircraft

N704AL, the aircraft involved in the accident, photographed in 2023
Aircraft typeBoeing 737 MAX 9
OperatorAlaska Airlines
IATA flight No.AS1282
ICAO flight No.ASA1282
Call signALASKA 1282
RegistrationN704AL
Flight originPortland International Airport, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
DestinationOntario International Airport, Ontario, California, U.S.
Occupants177
Passengers171
Crew6
Fatalities0
Injuries3
Survivors177

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Alaska Airlines from Portland International Airport in Portland, Oregon, to Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California. Shortly after takeoff on January 5, 2024, a door plug on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft blew out, causing an uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft.

The aircraft returned to Portland for an emergency landing. All 171 passengers and 6 crew members survived the accident, with three receiving minor injuries.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) final report, the probable cause of the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug blowout was a systemic failure of Boeing's manufacturing process and ineffective oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The in-flight separation was caused by four crucial bolts that were never reinstalled after being removed at the factory.