An Alaska Airlines flight traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, was forced to make an emergency landing on Friday night after a section of the aircraft blew out mid-air. The incident occurred shortly after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 departed from Portland International Airport at 4:52 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-MAX 9, had 174 passengers and six crew members on board.

According to FlightAware, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet just six minutes into the flight before initiating its descent back to Portland. Social media videos obtained by CBS News showed that one of the passenger window panels had been blown out during the incident.

The pilot immediately declared an emergency to air traffic control, stating that the flight had depressurized and needed to descend to 10,000 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the crew had reported a "pressurization issue." In response to the incident, both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that they would be launching investigations.

Alaska Airlines released a statement acknowledging the incident and confirming that Flight 1282 had landed safely back in Portland. However, the airline did not provide further details regarding the nature of the incident. They emphasized that the safety of their passengers and crew is their top priority and that their flight crew was trained to handle such situations.

Passenger Kyle Rinker shared a photo on social media platform X, showing an entire panel missing from the side of the fuselage next to a row of seats. The cause of the panel detachment remains unknown.

Port of Portland spokesperson Allison Ferre confirmed that the aircraft landed safely at Portland International Airport, and no injuries were reported among the passengers and crew members.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, released a statement expressing awareness of the incident and stating that they were working to gather more information. They also reassured the public that a technical team was ready to support the investigation.

The flight was originally bound for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California. However, due to the emergency landing, the passengers' travel plans were disrupted. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining the safety and integrity of aircraft during flights. The investigations by the FAA, NTSB, and Alaska Airlines will aim to determine the cause of the pressurization issue and the subsequent panel detachment in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.