Alaska Airlines grounds 737-9 aircraft after midair window blowout on flight from Portland, Oregon
Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft late Friday, hours after a window and piece of fuselage on one such plane blew out in midair and forced an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
The incident occurred shortly after takeoff and the gaping hole caused the cabin to depressurize. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) before returning to Portland International Airport.
The airline said the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.
