WATCH: Airplane door blows open mid-air sparks panic among passengers

Minutes after the take-off, the passengers aboard a Boeing 737-9 MAX airplane grappled with panic after one of its doors blew open mid-air.

The reports stated that the Boeing aircraft – owned by Alaska Airlines – flight from Portland to Ontario, CA (California) experienced an incident this evening soon after departure.

Alaska Airlines said in a post on X, that the aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 passengers and 6 crew members, adding that the investigation is underway related to the incident and will be shared when it becomes available.”

Responding promptly, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in a post on X informed that it is investigating the horrific event involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

According to real-time aircraft movement monitor Flightradar24, the Boeing 737-9 MAX reached a maximum altitude of 16,325 feet, before it was diverted to Portland.

Watch the Video Here

🚨#BREAKING: Alaska Airlines Forced to Make an Emergency Landing After Large Aircraft Window Blows Out Mid-Air ⁰⁰📌#Portland | #Oregon
⁰A Forced emergency landing was made of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 at Portland International Airport on Friday night. The flight, traveling… pic.twitter.com/nt0FwmPALE

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 6, 2024

It is worth noting that the Boeing 737 MAX was delivered to Alaska Airlines on October 1 last year. The plane entered commercial service on November 11, 2023 and since then it had accumulated a total of 145 flights.

The 737-9 MAX aircraft has a rear cabin exit door located aft of the wings but before the rear exit door. This door is designed by the company for use in dense seating configurations to fulfill evacuation requirements. These doors remain inactive and are permanently “plugged,” as reported by Flightradar24.