Local aviation expert weighs in on Alaska Airlines aircraft’s blowout, says altitude made all the difference

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following the Alaska Airlines aircraft’s blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage, a local aviation expert is weighing in on this scary incident.

The airplane had reached about 16,000 feet when a part of its fuselage blew.

Aviation expert Ed Booth said if the aircraft was at a higher altitude, there would be worse damage.

“If this had happened at the typical cruising altitude of 36 to 41,000 feet, there could have been an entirely different outcome. The decompression would have generated a tremendous amount of force that would have possibly damaged the airframe and rendered the airplane uncontrollable,” Booth said.

The blowout forced pilots to make an emergency landing as its 171 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks.

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No one was seriously hurt as the depressurized plane returned safely to Portland International Airport about 20 minutes after departure.

Alaska Airlines released a statement saying that crews have inspected the paneled-over exits on 18 of their 737 Max 9 aircraft, where they were cleared to return to service.

They said the inspection process for the remaining planes in their fleet is expected to be completed in the coming days.

“This type of event has happened from time to time and commercial aviation, the most famous example involves the DC 10 in the 1970s that had a defective cargo door latching system,” Booth said.

Following the incident, United Airlines announced via X that they have suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection required by the FAA. The airline also encouraged customers to check their website for their flight status.