Woman shares hair-raising video from inside Alaska Air flight that lost panel mid-air

Screengrabs from TikTok video shared by @vee_wins

A woman on board an Alaska Airlines flight woke up mid-air thinking the plane was experiencing turbulence, only to find a gaping hole in the aircraft where the door should be. The incident occurred during Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on January 5 when the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft lost a panel mid-flight.

The loss of fuselage mid-air sparked a wave of concern in the aviation industry as Boeing jets across the world came under increased scrutiny.

Meanwhile, several visuals from flight have emerged on social media. One hair-raising video, shared by TikToker “@vee_wins”, shows passengers wearing oxygen masks while the flight continues on its journey with a huge hole in the side of the plane.

The TikToker said she woke up from her mid-air nap thinking the plane was experiencing turbulence, only to find it had lost part of its fuselage.

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“Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, experienced an incident this evening soon after departure,” the company said in an emailed statement. “The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 174 guests and 6 crew members.”

The US Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded more than 170 Max 9 aircraft to conduct safety checks before they are returned to service.

(With inputs from agencies)