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The Alaska Airlines pilot who safely landed a Boeing 737 Max 9 carrying 171 passengers and four flight attendants after a door panel blew out was initially unaware of the mid-air emergency but sensed something was “catastrophically wrong.”
First Officer Emily Wiprud recalled that she first became aware of the emergency through an explosion in her ears followed by a whoosh of air.
“The first indication was an explosion in my ears and then a whoosh of air,” she told CBS News. “My body was forced forward, and there was a loud bang as well. … The flight deck door was open. I saw tubes hanging from the cabin.”
The flight, which departed from Portland just after 5 pm on January 5, 2024, and was bound for Ontario, California, experienced the mid-air blowout six minutes after takeoff at 16,000 feet, forcing an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
‘Didn’t know there was a hole’
Wiprud revealed that she and her captain were unaware that a door plug had blown off the left side of the fuselage, but they quickly realized a major incident had occurred.
“I didn’t know that there was a hole in the airplane until we landed,” Wiprud said. “I knew something was catastrophically wrong.”
She also recalled the noise being incredibly loud and struggled to communicate with air traffic control after her headset was sucked out of the plane, along with two passengers’ phones and several aircraft components.
‘Empty seats and injuries’
Upon checking the cabin, Wiprud found calm passengers but noted injuries and feared losing some individuals. A flight attendant informed her of “empty seats and injuries,” leading Wiprud and the attendant to fear the loss of several passengers. A teenager sitting close to the hole had his shirt ripped off by the forceful air.
There were no fatalities among the 177 onboard, but three people sustained minor injuries. The crew successfully returned the aircraft to Portland within 20 minutes.
‘My captain is a hero’
Air Line Pilots Association President Captain Jason Ambrosi praised the flight crew’s calm and professional response during the emergency. “The most important safety device on any aircraft is two well-trained, qualified, and rested pilots. … This crew instinctively put their training in place and executed flawlessly,” Ambrosi said, as quoted by CBS News.
Wiprud, with roughly 8,300 hours of flight experience, commended her captain, who had about 12,700 hours of experience before the incident. “My captain is a hero. Same with the flight attendants, same with all the personnel that were there to support us that day,” she said. “And that should be celebrated. Everybody survived.”
Both Wiprud and the captain were honored with the 2023 ALPA Superior Airmanship Award for their efforts during the emergency.
Three passengers—Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland, and Kevin Kwok—have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Alaska Airlines and Boeing, alleging that both parties ignored warning signs and that the flight should never have taken off.
First Officer Emily Wiprud recalled that she first became aware of the emergency through an explosion in her ears followed by a whoosh of air.
“The first indication was an explosion in my ears and then a whoosh of air,” she told CBS News. “My body was forced forward, and there was a loud bang as well. … The flight deck door was open. I saw tubes hanging from the cabin.”
The flight, which departed from Portland just after 5 pm on January 5, 2024, and was bound for Ontario, California, experienced the mid-air blowout six minutes after takeoff at 16,000 feet, forcing an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
‘Didn’t know there was a hole’
Wiprud revealed that she and her captain were unaware that a door plug had blown off the left side of the fuselage, but they quickly realized a major incident had occurred.
“I didn’t know that there was a hole in the airplane until we landed,” Wiprud said. “I knew something was catastrophically wrong.”
She also recalled the noise being incredibly loud and struggled to communicate with air traffic control after her headset was sucked out of the plane, along with two passengers’ phones and several aircraft components.
‘Empty seats and injuries’
Upon checking the cabin, Wiprud found calm passengers but noted injuries and feared losing some individuals. A flight attendant informed her of “empty seats and injuries,” leading Wiprud and the attendant to fear the loss of several passengers. A teenager sitting close to the hole had his shirt ripped off by the forceful air.
There were no fatalities among the 177 onboard, but three people sustained minor injuries. The crew successfully returned the aircraft to Portland within 20 minutes.
‘My captain is a hero’
Air Line Pilots Association President Captain Jason Ambrosi praised the flight crew’s calm and professional response during the emergency. “The most important safety device on any aircraft is two well-trained, qualified, and rested pilots. … This crew instinctively put their training in place and executed flawlessly,” Ambrosi said, as quoted by CBS News.
Wiprud, with roughly 8,300 hours of flight experience, commended her captain, who had about 12,700 hours of experience before the incident. “My captain is a hero. Same with the flight attendants, same with all the personnel that were there to support us that day,” she said. “And that should be celebrated. Everybody survived.”
Both Wiprud and the captain were honored with the 2023 ALPA Superior Airmanship Award for their efforts during the emergency.
Three passengers—Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland, and Kevin Kwok—have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Alaska Airlines and Boeing, alleging that both parties ignored warning signs and that the flight should never have taken off.
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